Embers and Ash
by YouRang
Summary: The sequel to 'Fire Fox', a continuation of Eric and Fox's story. Someone from Fox's past comes back and wants their pound of flesh. Will Fox survive? Will Eric survive without her? Rated M for the same stuff as Fire Fox, with added torture, violence and death. Eric/OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here it is, the sequel to 'Fire Fox'. It starts up right where Fox ended..enjoy!**

Eric's eyes opened wide in shock. "Pregnant?"

Dazed he turned back to the door and pushed if fully shut then turned back to Fox. He scrubbed his hands over his face and looked back up at her. "Are you sure?"

Fox held out the item in her hand, a plastic pregnancy test. "Pretty sure." She whispered.

"Are you sure it's mine?"

Eric's words hit Fox like a slap, she physically recoiled from them. Eric himself looked aghast, eyes widening as he realized what he had just said.

Fox pushed past him, shaking. She needed to get out of here. She pulled the door open and Eric's hand gripped her arm.

"Fox-"

Fox whirled and pushed Eric backwards with all her strength. He staggered back, letting go of her arm, his eyes huge and mouth working to form words.

Pointing her finger, Fox growled savagely. "Don't follow me. Fuck you, Eric Coulter."

Slamming the door shut behind her, Fox broke into a run. Logic would dictate that she'd head into the deserted corridors to the right of the bottom of the stairs, so Fox veered left, into the Pit; into the party. She skirted the edge, avoiding the crush of people and wove her way through the crowd on the other side. Tears poured freely down her face but no one was in any shape to notice.

"Fox?"

Fox kept going, but a hand banded around her arm. She whirled to see Bud, the tattoo artist, holding her arm, his eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay? Here, come here."

Bud pulled Fox to an empty table and pushed a glass of water towards her. "What's wrong?"

Fox shook her head, unable to describe it.

Bud looked around for a moment, before leaning close to Fox and saying. "You wanna get out of here?"

Fox nodded in relief.

Bud led her out of the Pit and into the tattoo shop he worked at. It was closed, but he sat down at his station and began setting up his gun. There was newer technology out there that involved electrified pads that implanted the ink into the skin, but Bud and Tori were old school and still used guns.

Fox collapsed in the armchair near his station. Tremors ran through her body.

"What do you want?" Bud asked.

Fox frowned in confusion and Bud held up his left arm, pointed briefly to tattoo of a cracked skull. "I got this one day when I just needed to do something...when shit got too heavy and I needed a different kind of pain."

Fox exhaled, Bud was offering her a distraction. He didn't know what was bugging her, only that something was, and was offering a temporary respite. Fox glanced around, "can we go in the back? I don't want anyone to see."

Understanding flooded Bud's eyes and he nodded. Dropping his gun on a rolling table he stood and pushed it through the doorway at the back of the shop. Fox followed and he shut the door behind them. No one running out of the Pit would see or hear anything going on in the tattoo shop.

Fox felt a small pang at hiding like this, which would no doubt cause Eric extra worry when he couldn't find her. _IF he's even looking for you. He's just like everyone else, blaming you and turning their backs when you need them. It's fucking Amity all over again._ The pang disappeared.

Bud interrupted her spiralling thoughts. "What do you want?"

A dim part of Fox's mind cautioned her to be careful and not pick something, like a broken heart or 'Fuck Eric Coulter', which she'd probably regret later.

Deciding to focus on the positives of the day, Fox answered. "Leadership bars, here. On my ribs."

Bud nodded and said. "It'll hurt, the ribs are sensitive."

"Good." Fox replied. Pulling off her shirt, exposing her favourite black bra, she lay down on her left side; closing her eyes as Bud started to work.

Bud was right, the ribs were sensitive, but Fox embraced the pain. Anything to keep from feeling what was boiling in her heart right now. _Are you sure it's mine?_ What the fuck kind of question was that? Of course it was Eric's, she had been 100% faithful to him. According to stories Fox had heard, Eric was the one who used to whore his way through the female population of Dauntless, never the same woman twice. _You're so fucking stupid, you really thought he'd change? Marry me, Fox...bullshit._

Bud hit a particularly sensitive spot and Fox gritted her teeth. "Almost done." He reported.

Fox glanced up at the clock, she'd been gone for over four hours, it was nearing dark. Fox wasn't ready to go back to the apartment, _his apartment_ , and decided to try the dorms. Housing assignments wouldn't be given out until the morning, surely the dorms had been left as is in case someone needed to crash.

"Alright, you're done. You want some healing cream?"

Fox debated a moment before nodding. Bud spread some on both sides of her ribcage and Fox chewed her bottom lip. The next few hours of discomfort would be worth a healed tattoo by morning. Fox stood and moved to a nearby mirror. The Leadership bars on her sides moved with her body contours, looked natural and beautiful. Fox couldn't help remembering the identical ink on Eric's throat, where she'd dragged her tongue and nipped with her teeth on more than one occasion. Pushing that bullshit away she turned back to Bud.

"They look amazing. I'll transfer points to you in the morning."

Bud shook his head. "Don't worry about it, gift for a friend who needed it."

Fox blushed at his generosity. Stepping towards him she pecked his cheek in thanks. "Thanks, Bud. I better get going." Fox was halfway to the door when Bud spoke again.

"Whatever he said to you, I'm sure he's sorry. Give him a chance."

Fox realized that Bud knew exactly who Fox had been running from tonight. His next words only confirmed it. "We don't hang out as much anymore, too busy...but he's changed since you've come here, Fox. He's not the same guy anymore. Just...don't throw it all away, not yet."

Fox swallowed hard then nodded. Silently, she left. Her feet took her automatically to the dorms. Hitting the bottom of the stairs Fox looked up and froze. Sitting on his bunk, unlacing his boots and staring back at her was Peter.

"What are you doing here, Banjo?" He growled.

Fox moved to her old bunk on the opposite end. She didn't feel like fighting with Peter right now.

Peter sighed and grumbled. "Turn off the light if you're staying, Jesus."

Fox stomped back to the bank of light switches and snapped them off. A few fluorescent lights in the communal bathroom stayed on, as they had every night of their initiation, and provided enough light for Fox to return to her cot.

Kicking off her boots and peeling off her jacket, Fox crawled under the covers. Peter shifted restlessly in his cot.

"Not out partying?" He finally asked.

"Could ask you the same thing." Fox replied.

Peter sighed. His next words were a shock to Fox. "It's not the same...they're not here."

Fox lifted her head from her pillow. Peter's back was to her, had he just said something that wasn't smart-ass, wasn't a jab? Fox had a pretty good idea who 'they' were and stayed quiet.

"They're gone, you know." Peter said softly, Fox not missing the sadness in his tone.

"With the factionless, you mean."

"No. Gone. They had a pact...they were together. When it started looking like they weren't going to pass the second stage, they decided to kill themselves if they failed."

Fox swallowed hard. She knew exactly who Peter was talking about, Molly and Drew. They were together? They'd been together?

"I loved her, you know." Peter confessed quietly. Fox wondered how drunk he was to be opening up like this to her of all people. "But she only wanted Drew."

"Peter...I'm sorry."

"I chose Fence patrol so I could stay away from here, so I wouldn't have to go out and deal with the factionless everyday and see that they aren't here anymore...it's too hard."

Fox lay there a long time, stunned by Peter's confession.

"I'm sorry, Peter...we never got along, but I'm sorry."

"Never gave you a chance, Banjo." Peter replied quietly. He exhaled and murmured. "Good night, Fox."

"Good night, Peter." Fox replied. She lay there a long time before closing her eyes.

* * *

Dimly, Fox felt her mattress dip and fingers caressed her cheek.

"I've been looking for you for hours." Eric's voice was unsteady, threadbare.

Fox opened her eyes and looked up. Eric sat beside her, his hand gently touching her cheek. At the look in her eyes, he pulled back. Eric looked up and over at where Peter lay, snoring softly.

"Can we go back home and talk about this?" He asked quietly.

Fox studied Eric's face a moment. As a defense mechanism in Amity, she'd grown a razor-edged tongue and claws, slashing at anyone who got too close or tried to hurt her. She realized that they'd come out again, and she'd cut Eric deep tonight with them. She nodded and Eric exhaled in relief. He stood and held out his hand to help Fox but she ignored it, sat up herself and pulled on her boots. Standing, she shrugged on her jacket and left the dorms, Eric behind her. As they walked to the stairs, Fox felt Eric's fingers brush hers hesitantly and although she wanted to jerk her hand away, she didn't and felt Eric's fingers wrap around her own. He squeezed them and there was an edge of desperation in his touch, as if he never expected to do this again. Silently they climbed the stairs, stopping in front of Eric's door. He reached over and unlocked it, pushed the door open and stepped back for Fox to enter first. She did and Eric followed, turning on lights and locking the door behind him.

Fox turned, arms crossing over her chest, and waited.

Eric met her eyes briefly before dropping them. He opened his mouth and closed it, fighting to find the right words. Fox waited, expressionless.

Finally, Eric whispered. "I'm so sorry, baby. I never should have said that. I don't think that...I don't know why I said it." His eyes searched Fox's for any sort of leniency or reprieve and finding none, he dropped his head again. He seemed smaller, diminished somehow.

Fox watched him stand there, his misery and remorse obvious.

"You've heard the stories about me...and the women I've been with."

Fox had, some from Eric himself, some from others.

"One of them, Courtney, told me she was pregnant...about six months before you came to Dauntless. I decided to stay with her, she swore it was mine...I started preparing to be a father, thought I could make a go of it with her, take care of my responsibilities...when she lost the baby two months later she told me I wasn't the father, that she was sure who was but she'd picked me because I could give her a better life as a leader...hearing you say that, I flashed right back to then, to that hurt...the betrayal."

Fox had heard of this Courtney, she was shacked up with someone from Eric's initiation year, but had a famous wandering eye. She'd heard she'd lost a baby, but hadn't heard this part, her pinning it on Eric for financial security. This story would be easy enough to verify, but she sensed that Eric wasn't lying. Fox had her demons, her tortured past, and she still suffered from it, still fell back on old memories and thought patterns; tonight was a bright and shining example, why couldn't Eric be allowed his slips too? His demons and memories, it was grievously unfair of Fox to expect leniency for the past to extend only to her.

"Do you still think that? That it might not be yours?"

Eric shook his head. He lifted his gaze to Fox and her chest squeezed when she saw his cheeks were wet. "I never did...it just came out." He murmured. He dropped his head again with a shudder.

Fox exhaled and stepped towards Eric. Although his words still stung, hearing his confession, seeing the tears in his eyes had made her decision. He wouldn't have come looking for her, wouldn't sound so overwrought and be standing in front of her so humbled if he wasn't truly repentant. Slowly, she reached out, brushed her fingertips at his belt. Eric gave a strangled sigh, his breathing heavy. Fox raised her head, cupped his cheek with her other hand. Eric's eyes were closed and he leaned his head tentatively into Fox's hand. Slowly, uncertainly, he opened his eyes, searching Fox's for forgiveness. Fox breathed deeply, releasing her anger and hurt. She'd dropped a bombshell tonight, she should have expected aftershocks.

"Fox." Eric whispered, bringing up his hand to brush his knuckles against her cheek.

Fox closed the remaining distance between them, leaned her body against Eric's chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around her with a muffled sob, burying his head in her hair. Fox felt his muscles shivering and regretted the way she'd acted, the torture she'd put him through by disappearing.

"Thank you, baby." Eric breathed, his lips by her ear. "I'll never hurt you again."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter's a little longer...**

"You'd better not." Fox whispered, and Eric gave a small moan as he pressed a kiss to her throat. A wave of heat passed through Fox and she moulded her body to Eric's. He pulled back enough to look into her eyes for confirmation before lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers again.

Fox pulled her mouth away and murmured. "Show me."

Eric exhaled unsteadily and murmured back. "Baby." His lips touched Fox's again and his tongue gently slicked along hers. Fox parted her lips and caught Eric's moan as their tongues touched. Eric began gently pushing Fox backwards towards the bedroom, his lips not leaving hers. As they reached the bed Eric turned and sat down on the edge, pulling Fox between his thighs. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressed his face to her abdomen and just held her for a long moment. Lifting his head to look up at Fox, he pulled up on her shirt, exposing her midriff and pressed a tender kiss to her skin, then nipped ever so gently and Fox's hands curled into his hair as she sighed his name. He pushed her shirt up farther and stopped, his fingers cautiously touching her sides.

"Is that where you went?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

Fox looked down, Eric was gently tracing her new Leadership bars. "Yeah, I ran into Bud in the Pit. He distracted me for awhile."

Eric nodded silently then leaned forward and pressed his lips to her left side, over her new ink. His tongue followed the bars, dragging upwards and goosebumps broke out on Fox's skin. Eric moved to her right side and kissed down the fresh ink, nibbling ever so gently and Fox felt her knees weakening. Eric gripped her waist and pulled her down onto the bed beside him. Laying beside her Eric trailed his fingers along Fox's abs down to her belt and holding her hooded gaze, began to unfasten it. Working the belt loose he unbuttoned her jeans and stood up, tugged her jeans off then pulled at her pink and black lace panties. He dropped to his knees on the floor between her legs. His eyes trailed down to her lower abdomen, where their baby would grow and he touched her there wonderingly for a moment. Fox watched him, her breathing unsteady. Kissing gently along her thighs, Eric worked his way to her core. He locked his gaze with Fox's, her kaleidoscopic eyes were dark with desire; his pupils were blown wide, his breathing heavy. Lowering his head, he covered Fox with his mouth and they both groaned as Fox arched under him. Eric's tongue lapped at her folds, and he moaned at her taste.

"Fuck, baby." He mumbled, his teeth brushing her bud. His hand joined his mouth and Fox whimpered as his finger entered her, followed by a second. Curling them, Eric stroked in and out; adding to the bliss his tongue was already giving her. His mouth was demanding yet gentle and Fox felt the beginnings of familiar fireworks growing in her centre.

"Eric, I..." Fox moaned.

"Let go baby." Eric murmured, biting gently and the fireworks exploded outwards. Fox cried out as she came, body arching on the bed. Eric held her hips down and lapped at her, sucking gently, milking every sensation, drawing out Fox's ecstasy until she collapsed, panting. She raised her head and looked down at Eric, his mouth was wet with her juices and Fox ignited, she wanted him to _fuck_ her, now.

"Take me Eric, hard." She hissed and Eric's eyes went black. The animal growl that escaped his lips would have frightened Fox is she wasn't so fucking turned on. Standing to his full height, Eric ripped off his clothes, kicking them aside impatiently. Eric grabbed Fox's calf and flipped her onto her stomach, pushing her further up the bed at the same time. Kneeling behind her he kneed her legs apart roughly and Fox cried out as he slammed inside her, burying himself to the hilt.

"Fuck." He grunted as he began to thrust, setting a punishing rhythm. His hands gripped her hips hard enough to bruise as he rammed into her. Fox moaned, loving every fucking second, and arched her back to change the angle. Eric's answering growl as he thrust even deeper sent tingles through Fox and she groaned. "More, harder Eric."

Eric's hand fisted into Fox's hair and he pulled her head back, immobilising her as he pumped into her, their sweat-slicked skin slapping together. Fox felt herself becoming undone a second time, more intense than the first and she screamed Eric's name as she came, stars flooding her vision. Eric roared behind her, thrusting violently as he emptied himself in her, cursing incoherently as his body shuddered and spilled deep inside her. Falling to his side, Eric pulled Fox down with him and tightened his arms around her, holding her against his chest as it heaved with exertion. Fox's legs twitched with aftershocks and she felt Eric's body quivering behind her. Breathing heavily, Eric buried his head in the back of her neck, panting her name.

Her throat dry from screaming, Fox whispered. "Could you grab me a glass of water?"

"Mmmm." Eric replied, untangling his arms and standing, Fox heard the tap in the kitchen.

Kicking her feet, Fox pushed herself up to the head of the bed, and stacked the pillows to lay semi-upright. She pulled the covers up over her legs as Eric came back. Fox couldn't stop herself from enjoying the view, Eric had his problems; could be possessive and temperamental; but fuck he had a good body. Handing her the glass, Eric pulled the covers back and climbed in beside Fox. He moulded to her left side and rested his head on her breast, threw one leg over hers. Setting the water aside, Fox lay her left arm across his back but brought her hand back up to stroke his hair. With her right hand she traced lazy patterns across his shoulder. Eric, with a softness and gentleness that never failed to surprise Fox, rested his massive hand across Fox's lower abdomen, covering it completely. His touch was tender even though his skin was calloused and rough.

"How long?" He murmured.

"I'm not sure, I think it was the last time we were together, before Max separated us. I'll go see the doctor and make sure...I don't understand how though...I'm regular with my shot."

Eric's thumb stroked her skin. He was quiet for a long time before his thumb stilled and he said. "Didn't you say you're immune to peace serum?"

The revelation hit Fox like a ton of bricks and her throat went dry. "I didn't even think of that...but...but the healing serum worked?"

"Immune to some, not others?" Eric wondered, his thumb resuming it's motion. He lifted his head to look at her. "It's a little earlier than we would have planned, but that's okay. It's going to be good."

Fox made a face. "I'm just starting my job though, what's Max going to say?"

"That your man is a virile, potent stud." Eric grinned and Fox pushed his face away with a groan. He kissed her belly before resting his head back down. His hand stilled on her lower abdomen and he whispered. "He's in there, right now. Growing."

"He?"

Eric nodded against her skin. "Our son."

"How are you so sure it's a boy?"

Eric kissed her belly again, flicked his tongue against her skin. "Just a feeling. We're going to have a whole gang of Coulter boys."

"You'll have to marry me first or they'll be LaRue's." Fox teased.

Eric lifted his head to regard her before sitting up. He chewed his bottom lip for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. Reaching over to his nightstand, he pulled out a small box from the drawer and opened it. He turned back to Fox and her breath caught in her throat. She dropped her head. Gently, Eric tucked her hair behind her ear and cupped her chin, lifting her head.

"I had something really romantic prepared," he confessed with a sheepish grin. "But I can't wait anymore...Fox, I love you, so much. I can't be away from you, not even for a night. You have become everything to me and I want to be with you forever. I want to be the father of your babies and be the man who takes you to bed every night. Please baby, will you marry me?"

Fox's heart thumped in her chest. There was only one answer she could give, but her lungs wouldn't draw air. She gazed into Eric's eyes, saw the love and hope shining in them and her chest unlocked.

"Yes." She whispered.

A low sound of pure happiness rumbled in Eric's chest and he crushed his lips to Fox's, wrapped his arms around her. Pulling away he gasped. "Yes?"

Fox nodded, tears beginning to fall. "Yes, Eric."

Eric threw back his head and roared, a throaty whoop of elation and victory and Fox giggled, tracing the tattoos on his neck as he lowered his chin and kissed her again.

Eric pulled the ring from the box and slid it delicately onto Fox's finger. She inhaled sharply.

"Eric...it's beautiful." It was exactly what Fox would have picked. Non-traditional definitely, but definitely Fox. The centre diamond was square and brilliantly white, surrounded by tiny square cut white diamonds with a black gold band. It fit perfectly. Fox stared at her hand for a long moment, entranced. Fox had never ventured to hope that she might one day find her mate and get married; for too long she'd been focussed simply on survival with her sanity intact, and now, here she was; a Dauntless leader, sitting beside a mountain of a man, pregnant with his child, engaged and so happy she was terrified. She shook her head and chuckled darkly.

"What?" Eric asked, touching her cheek, his grin uncertain.

"I'm happy...something bad is going to happen now."

Eric grunted and grabbed her chin, forced her head up. "Don't say things like that...nothing bad is going to happen." A flicker of anger crossed his features. "Why would you even think that?"

"I don't have the greatest record." Fox replied dryly.

Eric's fingers tightened painfully and he pressed his lips to hers, hard, before pulling back just far enough to meet her eyes, his forehead touching hers. "Don't think like that. All that shit's in your past, it can't hurt you anymore. I will _never_ let anything bad happen to you again, okay?"

Fox wanted to growl that Eric couldn't possibly promise that, but she swallowed the retort. She'd come to realize that Eric would give his last breath for her, and she hoped it never came to that, because she would too, for him. Despite the way she had conditioned herself to never depend on anyone, Fox understood with a jolt that she _loved_ Eric, and she would follow him even past death.

Eric's brow furrowed as he read these thoughts in Fox's eyes. Slowly, he let go of her chin and touched his knuckles to her cheek, concern flooded his features and he murmuring her name.

Fox blinked and focussed on Eric again. She inhaled sharply at the emotions she saw in his eyes. Touching the back of his head, Fox pulled Eric down and pressed her lips to his. With a sigh, she lay back on the bed, pulling him with her.

* * *

A month had passed. No one knew yet about Fox's pregnancy, she wasn't showing yet and it was so busy with her job that she didn't have many nights free to meet in the Pit, therefore avoiding questions of 'why aren't you drinking?'. Fox had declined an apartment and moved in instead with Eric, they would have to move to the family side of the compound soon anyway. Tris and her had offices beside each other, and worked together well. When Max had split Eric's old position into two, he'd divided the work but also added new tasks, and while it was challenging, Fox was enjoying it. Initiation hadn't come yet, wouldn't for months, but she and Tris would share the transfer training, Four would help only if needed. He'd accepted a higher position in the control room and was busier there now. Tris had screamed when she'd seen Fox's engagement ring the next day and cooed almost daily over it still.

Although Max had cautioned Fox about keeping business hours business, Fox soon discovered that, Dauntless being Dauntless, where they liked to fuck _and_ fight; lunch hour quickies were rather common. The code around the office was if Carlene was 'bringing Max lunch' that they weren't to be disturbed for anything short of Armageddon and Fox had taken to wearing skirts (mid-thigh, all that was available to buy) for easier access when she and Eric wanted to 'have lunch' as well.

Fox knocked on Eric's office door. He'd called a meeting with her and Tris at 2, it was currently 1:30 and Fox was hungry. Eric looked up as she walked in and his gaze darkened. Fox had unbuttoned the top three buttons on her shirt, exposing part of her lacy black bra.

"Lock the door." He said gutturally.

Fox did and sauntered over behind Eric's desk. Although Fox straddling Eric in his office chair was a favourite, Eric also liked to sit Fox on the edge of his desk while he stood between her legs, and today he grabbed her hips with a growl and set her there. Crushing his lips to hers, he raked Fox's skirt up her hips as Fox clawed at his belt and fly. Freeing him, Fox bit back a groan as Eric pushed aside her panties and filled her, shuddering into her neck and mumbling a curse. Even with the door locked, the thought of someone catching them only added to their excitement, and their sex was always hot and fast here. Thrusting violently, Eric gripped Fox's ass and pulled her closer to him, filling her completely and Fox clamped down on a cry.

"Wait," Fox panted, pushing Eric back with her hands. Panting, Eric watched her hungrily. Fox hopped off the desk and turned around, Eric's hands trailing along her waist as she turned. Fixing him with a smirk over her shoulder, Fox yanked her skirt higher and bent over the desk. With an erotic growl Eric grabbed Fox's hip and slammed into her again. Fox bit her fist to keep from crying out as Eric fucked her, pumping into her from behind, his thrusts heavy and hard. Fox shattered, almost drawing blood as she bit down on her knuckles and Eric groaned behind her, his hips pumping a few more times as he came, spilling inside Fox. Collapsing back in his chair, Eric slapped Fox's ass and grinned as she squealed. Cleaning themselves up quickly, Fox cleared her throat and unlocked the door, sitting down in the chair opposite Eric to wait for Tris. They shared a quick and dirty grin before clearing their throats and resuming their work personas.

"Your shirt." Eric whispered as Tris knocked. "C'mon in Tris!"

Hurriedly Fox closed the buttons she'd undone earlier as Tris walked in. If the former Abnegation noticed, she said nothing; she had no reason to talk, there was a fresh hickey on her throat. Shooting Fox a quick grin, she sat in the free chair and turned to Eric.

"Good Afternoon Eric, Fox." Tris said. Although they all played the office game, they made sure that when they actually settled down to work, they stayed professional.

"Ladies," Eric greeted. Without preamble, he began. "I've received a couple phone calls in the past few days from Andrew Prior in Abnegation and Johanna Reyes in Amity. They want to revamp their initiation processes and have asked if we'd mind consulting them."

Fox and Tris traded a glance. Fox spoke first. "How much revamping? Are they going to start cutting initiates?"

"I doubt it, but they are interested in streamlining some areas, looking for improvement in others. Are you two willing to do it? Andrew specifically asked for Tris and I got the impression Johanna would like to see Fox, but I didn't commit either way." Eric sat back in his chair, laced his fingers together.

Fox and Tris looked at each other, Fox wasn't ecstatic about going back to Amity, but she saw the banked excitement in Tris' eyes at seeing her dad again and nodded.

"Sure. I'll go to Amity. Tris?"

Tris smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'll go. When did they want us?"

"I'll leave that up to you two to work out, but I'd like to call Andrew and Johanna in late next week to present our findings."

Fox nodded. "Can do. I'll probably be stuck there for a day or two, paper record-keeping isn't an Amity strength, to sort everything out, so I'll talk to Johanna and try to head out tomorrow."

Eric nodded and looked at Tris.

"I don't think it'll take me more than a day in Abnegation, but I'll start right away too."

"Sounds good Tris, go give Andrew a call and let me know. Fox, I need you to stay here a minute."

Tris stood and smiled. 'Talk to you later."

Eric watched Tris leave before turning back to Fox. "You'll be okay? You won't let your past cloud your judgement?"

Fox shook her head. "As you've said, that is all behind me now."

Eric nodded reluctantly then said. "I'm sending a guard with you."

Fox frowned. "Why? I'll be fine. It's Amity."

Eric's look darkened. "Exactly." A knock interrupted him. "Come in!"

The door opened and a tall man in Dauntless armour stepped in. He appeared to be about thirty, with short brown hair and a scar on his left cheek.

"Fox, meet Bronson. Bronson, Fox. Bronson is one of Zeke's most trusted men, he'll accompany you to Amity."

Bronson had stopped and now stood at military rest. He nodded in greeting but said nothing. Fox stood and faced him. "Let me work out the details of when we're leaving. I'll follow up with you." Bronson nodded once more in acknowledgement and Fox left the office, leaving the two men behind. Eric was probably going to give him further instructions.

* * *

Later, after Fox phoned Johanna and planned with her to arrive in the morning, Fox sent a message to Eric to tell him that. His response was almost immediate.

 _What are you wearing?_

 _Full body armour and a chastity belt. This is work time, boss._

 _Boo. You will be punished later for your insubordination._

 _Try._

Eric made good on his threat, teasing Fox unmercifully that night until she begged for release before plunging her over the edge. In her history of amazing sex with this man, this ranked right up there as some of the best and Fox made a mental note to tease him more often that way at work. Morning came too soon, and Fox had gained less sleep than she would have hoped, Eric had been insatiable, his hands and tongue everywhere and Fox groaned as the alarm began to beep.

"Ignore it." Eric mumbled, face down in his pillow.

"Can't, some slave-driver boss is sending me out to Amity." Fox sassed, slapping Eric's naked ass and earning a muffled growl. By the time she was showered and dressed, her bag packed the night before, Eric had made breakfast.

"Be careful out there." Eric said, eyeing her worriedly.

Fox looked up from the remains of her omelette. "I will be fine. Bronson looks more than capable of anything a few juiced-up hippies can throw his way."

"Be careful in the city too. Zeke's mentioned some increasing trouble with the factionless."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Small, organized attacks. Zeke can't find any real reason for them except maybe scouting; finding out weak points and such. They've captured a few for questioning but so far they aren't saying anything."

Fox frowned. Usually the factionless made trouble for a good reason, attacking storage depots to steal food and the like. This was a new development, and if it had Zeke worried, than it had potential to become bad. "That's why you're sending Bronson with me."

Eric nodded. "I tried to come myself, but Max has a shit ton of meetings lined up he won't let me skip out on. Four is going with Tris just in case too."

Fox nodded. "We won't be stopping anywhere in the city, we should be fine."

Eric chewed his lip before saying quietly. "Hurry back, I'll miss you. And be safe."

Fox stood, she was going to be late. Leaning down she pressed a kiss to Eric's lips, tasted butter and murmured. "I'll call you tonight, I love you."

Eric pressed back feverishly and, when Fox pulled away, nodded and said. "You'd better."

Fox gave one last smile as she left Eric sitting there, worry clouding his eyes.

* * *

The trip to Amity went off without a hitch. Fox discovered that Bronson possessed a rather dry sense of humour and was a lot more fun to be around than she first thought. As she'd expected, Fox needed to stay overnight to sort through Amity's eclectic systems, but by the next afternoon she had a pretty good idea of what needed to be changed and began formatting a way to phrase it properly. She and Eric had talked the night before, but a sudden fit of yawning had prevented Fox from talking dirty to him and she had to hang up early. Tonight, she promised herself, I'm rocking his world.

A storm had blown up by the time Bronson and Fox were ready to leave, but neither was overly eager to stay another night. Lightning illuminated the sky and thunder crashed as they slowly made their way back into the city. The rain was heavy and Bronson drove carefully. As they entered the city limits, in a particularly run down section that was scheduled to be fully demolished, Bronson hit the brakes suddenly. Fox's head snapped forwards and she peered out through the rain soaked windshield. A body lay in front of them.

"Stay here." Bronson said, stepping out of the truck, his hand on his gun.

Fox huffed a moment, then got out. Eric would kill her if he found out, but too bad. Bronson flashed her a look as she fell in step beside him, but said nothing. Reaching the body, Fox knelt down as Bronson scanned the area.

Fox reached out to feel for a pulse. They sure didn't look alive, the girl's skin was grey, her limbs slack and twisted. Just as her fingers touched the girl's throat there was a crash. Fox leapt to her feet, pulling her sidearm. She pressed her back to Bronson and felt a cold bite of steel at her temple.

"Don't move." A voice growled.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Shit's getting real...please review!**

Fox tensed to react, then felt Bronson's hand close over her arm. More figures moved out of the shadows to surround them and Fox froze, realizing they were outnumbered. The man pointing the gun at Fox stepped into her line of vision and glared down at her. His hair was dirty blonde and hung just past his ears. His eyes were flinty, the colour a washed out blue. His clothes were dirty. Factionless.

"Hello again, Arianna." He snarled.

Fox stared at him in confusion. She didn't recognize this man, how did he know her name, her real name, from Amity?

Two men had guns pointed at Bronson and he growled low in his chest in warning as two more men stepped towards him and removed the rest of his weapons. A third man pointed his gun at Bronson's head and cocked it.

"No!" Fox cried.

"Stop." The leader, the man who'd spoken to Fox, snapped. He looked back at Fox with a sadistic smile. "You're right, a bullet is too obvious." He nodded at the man who suddenly hit Bronson across the face with his pistol. Bronson staggered and fell to one knee. Fox reached for him but was grabbed by the upper arms and yanked backwards.

"Put him in the truck...put that dead bitch in there too, I told you not to hit her so hard, we needed a distraction, not a body."

Two men began to drag Bronson back to the truck, he was stunned, but not unconscious; and another two picked up the girl they'd stopped for. Bronson was pushed back behind the steering wheel and the dead girl was propped in the passenger seat. The boss pointed up at the building closest to the truck, it was heavily damaged and the corner was listing out into the street.

"Push it over." He yelled. A half-dozen scraggly men disappeared into the building, reappeared on the second floor and crowded against the damaged corner. Fox thrashed wildly against the man holding her, and felt a knife bite into her throat. Fox froze, watched in horror as the wall began to tilt and fall. It was going to fall dead centre on the truck and crush it. At the last moment, Bronson looked up and, seeing his fate, began to scream. His scream cut off suddenly as the wall crushed the truck flat. Fox retched in horror. The leader grabbed her chin and lifted her head.

"I got big plans for you Arianna, you little bitch." He growled. Lifting his arm, he backhanded Fox with his gun and everything went black.

* * *

Fox regained consciousness slowly and kept herself still, listening to her surroundings before giving away that she was awake. She had a splitting headache, and knew her cheekbone was broken again. She was sitting against a cold hard wall and felt a band of steel around her ankle. She sensed someone sitting near her.

"I know you're awake." It was the leader of the factionless, the one who'd known Fox's real name.

Fox opened her eyes and raised her head. The room was plain and dimly lit. The walls looked to be stone or very old brick.

"You're in a sub-basement of the old Cook County jail...four floors underground. Aboveground is nothing but rubble. No one knows about this place. You're mine now Arianna." The factionless leader sat in a chair a few feet from Fox, his voice was arrogant, he rolled a rock in his palm.

"How do you know my name?" Fox asked, her voice was hoarse.

He cocked his head to one side and said. "You really don't recognize me? The man whose life you ruined?"

Fox frowned in confusion. "What?" She stammered.

The man snarled and threw the rock at Fox. It hit her forehead and blood tricked into her eye. "Don't play dumb, bitch."

Fox winced at the sudden pain, blinked rapidly as the blood clouded her vision. This man was clearly insane, and possessed a violent, hair-trigger temper. Fox needed to be very, very careful.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I don't remember your name."

The man stood and roughly grabbed her chin, forced Fox's head up painfully to meet his eye. He chuckled darkly. "You really don't remember...it's Tom...from Amity, ring a bell now, bitch?"

A cold finger of dread stroked down Fox's spine. "T-Tom?" Tom was the first boy who had attacked her in the orchard in Amity almost eight years ago. It had been his idea to throw her into the grave to hide her body when they thought they'd killed her. She heard he'd transferred to Candor...why was he factionless then?

"You transferred to Candor...why are you here now?" Fox whispered, tensing in expectation of his reaction.

Tom curled his lip, exposing broken teeth. "The truth serum during initiation. When I told what happened with you, they threw me out. You shouldn't have been there, temping us like that." His voice went low and dangerous.

Fox shivered. He'd twisted around what had happened in his mind, painted himself as a victim and Fox the villain, the whore who'd tempted a group of innocent boys to their doom.

"I've been waiting to pay you back for that."

"How did you know where to find me?" Fox asked. The factionless didn't have the access to the faction's files. How had Tom known not only that Fox was Dauntless, but that she had been away from the compound and it's protection?

Tom grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "One of Max's guards has a taste for a specialty of mine. A rare vintage, you might say. My own creation. Ever heard of 'shard'?"

Fox frowned. Shard was a myth, reportedly a bastard offshoot of an illegal drug from before the war known as crystal meth. It was notoriously difficult to make and rumoured to be highly addictive. It was also incredibly rare, if it even existed. The combined forces of Candor, Dauntless and Erudite had all but eliminated all drug activity beyond their own serum productions.

"In exchange for product, he keeps me apprised of the goings-on in Dauntless. When he mentioned a certain flaming-haired Amity transfer I got real interested in what he had to say. He told me you'd left the compound, and when to expect you back."

Fox swallowed hard. This had all been arranged, Tom had a plan. "What are you going to do with me?"

Tom leaned forward and fixed her with a frightening smile. "Whatever I want to."

* * *

Eric paced anxiously. Fox and Bronson had been due back hours ago. They weren't responding to radio or cell phone calls. The antenna meant to pick up the locator beacons on all Dauntless vehicles had been damaged by winds and technicians were feverishly trying to repair it. Eric's heart thumped with dread, something was wrong. Fox had spoken to Eric just before they'd left Amity, she would have contacted him if they'd turned back due to the storm. Eric had sent out soldiers to search the streets in case their vehicle had broken down, but the wind and rain had all but shut them down. Eric fought to remain calm, if anything had happened to Fox...

"Sir?"

Eric whirled, and the soldier who'd approached him held out a radio nervously. Eric snatched it.

"Coulter."

"Sir, we've repaired the locator antenna." The voice was tinny and distorted by static but Eric heard every word.

"Where are they?"

The voice gave the location but Eric was already running for the garage. Roaring into his phone, he ordered medics, fire and police forces to meet him and be ready to roll out _right fucking now._

Eric thumped the steering wheel agitatedly. He was leading the convoy to the location of Fox's truck, and was growing increasingly frustrated. He was being forced to dodge flooded streets and debris, winding a twisted route. Four and Tris rode with him, grim and quiet. Finally, just as his patience was about to snap, the small computer tracking the truck's beacon began to chirp. The truck was within 50 feet. Eric leapt out and scanned the area, vehicles screeched behind him, soldiers and emergency personnel converged around him. Four and Tris appeared at his side.

"Find the truck!" Eric bellowed. Then he saw it. There wasn't much left, just part of the grill and front tire sticking out from under a heap of rubble, the remains of the collapsed building beside it. Eric's heart stopped.

"NO!" He screamed, scrambling towards the wreckage.

"Sir! Stay back." Hands grabbed at him but he threw them off.

"Eric!" Four yelled.

"FOX!"

Soldiers converged on the remains of the truck, began trying to dislodge debris. Eric clawed at the bricks, his breath wheezing in his chest. He lifted a chuck of stone and staggered back, a hoarse keening wail escaping his lips. He fell to his knees, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks, his world crumbling around him. Four grabbed him by the shoulders and Tris leapt in front of him, pressing her hands to his chest.

"Don't look Eric." She pleaded, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Fox! Fox, no!" Eric screamed. Pain cleaved his chest and he couldn't draw enough air. Black dots flooded his vision.

A pale hand was visible sticking out of the wreck, fingers twisted and crushed. A female hand. Blood stained the stone around it.

Eric threw back his head and screamed, a choking, keening cry of anguish. His life was over.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and suggestions. You're right, Damn you Kylie; Fox is Dauntless and she will fight for her life; but will it be enough? Please review, let me know what you think of Embers and Ash so far!**

Fox staggered, trying to keep her balance. If she fell the shackles would cut painfully into her wrists and rip open the half-healed wounds already there, and her blood would flow again. The smell of old blood was making Fox sick to her stomach. Fox had no idea exactly how much time had passed. The one bare light bulb surrounded by a cage hanging from the ceiling above her came on and turned off at a regular interval, and it that accurately marked daylight, then Fox had been here for five days already. Tom had mostly left her alone since the first day. He'd underestimated Fox, I mean really, she was Dauntless now, not a weak-ass Amity; and had left the cell with a busted nose and more broken teeth, three fingers on the hand he'd tried to touch her with broken. He'd sent four men in after that, watching with sadistic satisfaction as Fox fought like a wildcat, but was hindered by her ankle shackle and eventually overwhelmed. The men left their share of blood on the floor and walls of Fox's cell, but in return they beat her unconscious and when Fox gradually came to, she was slumped against her cell wall, her ankle no longer chained but her wrists. The chain was attached to the wall behind her, above her head and she could sit only with her arms raised.

For the umpteenth time Fox scanned her cell for any weak spots. Tom had said she was in the Cook County jail sub-basement, and this had obviously been an isolation cell. Six feet by eight, the ceiling stretched ten feet high; a drain sat in the middle of the floor. Old score marks, scratches and stains covered the stone walls. The old stains were blood Fox realized, they looked just like the new blood stains, only darker. Fox was chained to the back wall, in front of her, so close but too far to reach chained was a metal door with a small reinforced window. They'd been kind enough to leave Fox a bucket for waste, but since they hadn't fed her and the only water she got was the moisture trickling down the wall, she'd had little use for it. She was hazy, found it hard to stay awake. The mild concussion she'd received in her beatdown gave her a constant throbbing headache, but her split lip had finally gone down enough for her to close her mouth fully.

She was in deep shit and she knew it. Eric had probably already figured out that it wasn't her body crushed in the truck, but now what? Fox had had no idea this sub-basement existed, and she'd studied the prisons of the city that had existed before the war for a high school paper. She doubted many people beyond Tom and his motley gang of factionless knew, so how was anyone to find her? More importantly, what the hell was Tom going to do with her? The sick lust in his eye before he'd tried to touch Fox had turned her stomach; he was obviously starving her resistance down until she couldn't fight back anymore before he tried again. And then there was the baby, how long could Fox be starved and beaten before the fetus was affected? What would Tom do to her when she began to show and he realized she was pregnant? Fox exhaled, there wasn't much she could do...when Tom appeared again, maybe she'd be able to fight her way free, but Fox's strength was waning and she wasn't sure of her capabilities anymore. Unless Eric launched a city-wide search that scoured absolutely everywhere with the latest heat-seeking scanners, and got extremely lucky; they'd be unlikely to stumble on her down here. Perhaps one of the factionless Zeke had imprisoned would speak, or soldiers would capture one of Tom's men and convince him to spill his guts metaphorically before they did literally.

Rage simmered in Fox's gut. Who the fuck did this Tom think he was? She was the one who'd suffered, not him; and now the prick was all set up to make her suffer all over again. And not just her, what was Eric going through? If the situation was reversed, Fox would be out of her mind by now; inconsolable, perhaps Eric was channeling his emotions into searching for her, perhaps he'd locked himself in their apartment. Fox was his Achilles' Heel, the only thing predictable about his reaction would be that it would be extreme. Fox's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door unlocking. Fox tensed, waiting as the door swung open and Tom sauntered in, carrying a wooden chair.

Fox straightened up to her full height, her face a mask to disguise her pain. She hoped Tom's broken nose and fingers still hurt enough to remind him to stay away. Setting the chair down, out of Fox's reach she was darkly pleased to see, he sat down and turned his menacing gaze to her.

"My scouts tell me that Dauntless soldiers are swarming the entire city looking for you."

"Good." Fox spat. "When they find you, you'll wish you were dead."

Tom shook his head and chuckled. "That's the thing, sweetheart. They're _never_ going to find us." His eyes darkened. "At least not until you've given me what I want, then they'll find your body; or pieces of it, anyway."

Fox bit back a snarl, he wanted a reaction, she would deny him that. "And what do you want from me?"

Tom suddenly leapt to his feet and grabbed the back of Fox's head, he pressed his lips to hers and Fox gagged. His hand clasped her breast and Fox exploded. She bit down hard on his lip and when he yelled in pain she head-butted him with all her strength. Stars danced in her eyes and her headache went from a throb to a scream. Shaking her head to clear it, Fox brought her knee up and connected solidly with his groin, her teeth red with his blood as she grinned in triumph at his roar of pain.

Tom's fist came up, connected solidly with Fox's broken cheekbone and her vision went grey around the edges. Bracing his forearm across Fox's throat he pressed dangerously hard then leaned his full body against her. Fox felt sick, her skin crawled. His free hand came and squeezed her breast painfully before reaching down to cup between her legs. Fox tried to struggle, but Tom pressed harder with his forearm, completely cutting off her air. Fox froze, if she passed out now, he'd be free to rape her. His arm lifted slightly, but his hand remained and he rubbed her there, growling with lust; it was a disgusting sound, nothing like Eric's erotic noises and Fox felt bile rise in her throat.

He panted in her face, his breath rotten. "You're still a little lively. I think you need a few more days to think about it." He stepped back, his hand retreating and Fox waited, hardly daring to breathe. Tom took a few steps back, looking like he was going to leave then suddenly exploded at Fox again. He kicked her solidly, low in the belly and Fox staggered, white hot pain shooting through her body. _NO!_ she screamed in her head. _Not my baby!_

Tom threw his hair back and got right back in Fox's face. It felt like Fox had a bellyful of red hot stones, like sharp rusty teeth were gnawing at her abdomen, her vision wavered and tears of pure pain escaped her eyes. She couldn't catch her breath. Her chest had locked down.

"That's right, bitch. I knew you were knocked up. And now it's gone. More room for me when I decide to fuck you and put one of my own in there. Maybe I'll let you live long enough to get a pup offa ya', we'll see. Probably not though, I like to play rough." He crushed his mouth to hers and bit down, puncturing Fox's bottom lip then pulled away, laughing as he left Fox there, staggering against the cell wall.

 _My baby..._ Fox thought dimly as she collapsed, everything going black.

* * *

Three days earlier.

Eric lay listlessly. Nothing mattered anymore. Fox was dead, Fox was gone. Eric hadn't moved from here since last night, lay curled on the bed he'd shared with Fox, where her scent still lingered. Four, Tris and Zeke kept checking on him, they'd found out his door code, but he didn't care to acknowledge them. He didn't care to eat the food they'd left for him. He didn't care. The storm had delayed any attempts to lift the building from the crushed truck until late yesterday and Eric had been there, pacing; half-mad with grief but needed to do _something._ He'd been unable to look away as the rescue team finally managed to remove the last piece of rubble crushing the truck, but had staggered away gagging, collapsing to his knees as Fox's crushed body was all but scraped out of the cab. There was hardly any left to grieve over. He'd let Four and Zeke drag him back to the compound, had lain here ever since. Last night, as Tris and Four sat with him, he'd confessed. Told them that Fox had been carrying his child, that he'd not only lost his soulmate but their baby as well. Tris, would been silently crying up until then over the loss of her best friend, began to sob uncontrollably and Four had taken her home. He and Zeke had checked on Eric eight times since then. He knew they were expecting him to throw himself over the Chasm, but he wasn't going to. It was just as acceptable to lay here until his heart gave out, until he faded away; he'd see Fox again, would hold their baby and be with them forever.

Dimly he heard a commotion, then his front door slammed open. Four yelled his name, he and Tris scrambled into the room.

"It's not her! It's not Fox's body!" Tris screeched.

A strange tingling ran through Eric's body. No, this was some sort of desperate hallucination; he was imagining this, Fox was dead, and he was going to join her soon.

Four grabbed his shoulders and shook them. He slapped Eric's cheeks. "ERIC! Look at me! It wasn't Fox's body in the truck!"

They sounded pretty real, Eric raised his head and blinked at them. They didn't disappear.

"Not her?" Eric rasped.

Tris shook her head, eyes shining. "They tested the body, the DNA doesn't match, it was a factionless women."

Eric sat up, wavering. Four steadied him. "The DNA doesn't match?" He repeated dumbly.

"The body was dead before the building crushed it...do you realize what this means?" Four gasped.

Eric's mind worked furiously. Part of him did, but the other part refused to believe it; no, Fox was gone, this was some crazy mindfuck he was imagining.

"Zeke is setting up teams of soldiers to look for Fox, she's been abducted. We think Fox and Bronson were ambushed, and that body put there to distract us." Tris' voice wavered, her eyes shining.

Eric shook his head, this was too incredible to believe. Four stood up and yanked Eric to his feet. Gripping his chin severely he yelled desperately in Eric's face.

"Eric! Wake up! We have to go look for her!"

Eric shook his head again, this time to clear it. He wanted to believe, he had to believe that this was happening, the alternative was too painful. He raised his head, eyes blazing. He stood to his full height, seemed to come back to life right in front of their eyes. New purpose shone in his gaze.

"Let's go!" He barked, sprinting from the room. Four and Tris scrambled at his heels. Leader Eric was back, he would find Fox even if he had to turn the entire fucking city upside down.

 **It might be a few days until I update again. It's May Long and up here in Canada that means camping and liquour lol !**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter starts out a little dark, but I wanted to show how desperate Fox's situation has become. Please read and review and thank you for all the encouragement :)**

Fox sagged against the wall. Her arms had long since gone numb, extended on either side of her like she was being crucified. She'd lost the baby; there'd been blood, but not as much as Fox had expected. Perhaps the fates were being kind and allowing her to keep him until she was rescued, not be discarded and disposed of here in this sub-basement hell. With her luck however, she'd probably just develop a fatal infection and rot away here underground. One way or another, Fox thought gruesomely, Tom is going to make sure she died below ground. Another two days had passed, Tom had not approached her again, but she'd seen his leering smirk through the door more than once, his knowing gaze stripping her bare, knowing exactly what he had done and what it was currently doing to her. _I'm going to kill him, even if I have to die beside him, he will breathe his last before mine,_ Fox vowed.

Thoughts of Eric both tormented and supported her constantly. Memories of the look in his eyes as he hovered above her, their lower bodies pressed together; the love and relief and release and tenderness in his stormy grey gaze both broke and strengthened her heart. The way his touch felt as his fingers caressed her cheek, her collarbone, the curve of her breast as he murmured against her skin gave her both comfort and pain. Although she would fight for her life with everything she had, Fox knew that the odds of a happy ending in her story were slim. Part of her hoped that Eric would find her, no matter how long she'd been dead; if only for the closure it would give him over never knowing for sure what happened; and part of her hoped that Eric's last memories of her would stay the clean and happy ones from their last night and morning together; Fox sassing him and slapping his bare ass, sharing breakfast and their final kiss that tasted of butter.

She was so tired.

Tom's face appeared in the window again.

* * *

"Zeke!" Eric barked as he burst into Dauntless central security, the area of the compound where Zeke and the other leaders charged with defense and protection worked, where all the guards gathered, where the weapons and equipment were stored and soldiers were dispatched from. Four and Tris panted behind him; he's set a blistering pace down here, the fastest of the three of them when it came to sprints. Zeke looked up from the group of soldiers he was giving orders to and nodded, giving the last few instructions before sending them out. Another team waited for him but he jerked his chin to Eric and walked to a far corner. He waited for them to gather around him before sighing, his hands on his hips.

"I gotta run something by you guys." Zeke said. "I don't know, but something just doesn't feel right about this."

Eric frowned at Zeke. "What do you mean"

Zeke exhaled. "All those factionless I was telling you about...they're gone. My men haven't seen anything since Fox was abducted."

"Could be the weather." Four speculated.

Zeke nodded. "Maybe. But I just have this hunch...how did whoever took Fox know where to ambush her? The more we look at where Fox got grabbed, the more it looks like a planned-out mission. They had a body for distraction, they knew exactly where Fox was going to be, they effectively got rid of Bronson, but in such a way to slow us down long enough for a hell of a head start. How? My gut tells me they had help, from someone here in the compound. That's why we're talking here, I can't say for certain my office isn't bugged."

Four frowned, unconvinced; but Eric was listening closely. You could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

"They'd need access to private phone lines, travel itinerary...they'd have to be hooked to the locator beacons of the trucks...who has that level of access?"

"Not necessary if you know your way around computers." Four said grimly. "And were careful to not leave tracks."

"How do we find them?" Tris wondered.

"I'll pull my best men, we'll go over the compound's camera footage during the time Fox was at Amity, see if we can pick up anyone acting strange. We'll go through all incoming and outgoing phone calls too...see if anything is suspicious in the locator beacon program, any flagged processes or access code written in. It'll take time, that's hundreds of combined hours of footage, thousands of logged calls and messages. We have to talk to Max, get the manpower for that."

Zeke nodded in agreement. "I'll pull a small team together to help you."

Eric shook his head. "I gotta go out looking, I can't stay in here looking at camera footage."

Tris nodded. "I'll go with you."

Zeke pointed with his chin to the group of soldiers still waiting for instruction. "You can go with them, we've divided the city into a grid and we're searching each block from top to bottom, it's slow but thorough. We have a few long-range body-heat scanners from weapons development; but they haven't been tested in real time yet, I don't know how accurate they'll be."

Eric nodded and looked back at Four. "You'll talk to Max? Get started on the cameras?"

Four nodded. "Yeah, I got it. You two get out there looking. I'll be in touch." He paused. "The more I think about this, the more it makes sense. Zeke is right, someone is a mole or a spy. Leave your phones back here, they may be compromised. Take some generic radios instead."

Zeke pointed to a row of lockers. "You'll find armour and suits in there. I'll brief the team while you change."

Four turned and jogged out while Tris and Eric moved to the lockers. They dressed quickly, the padding and armour making Eric look larger than life, like a moving mountain; the thunderous expression on his face not helping to dispel that. Energy crackled around him. Tris' gut churned with anxiety. Zeke was right, this hadn't been a seat-of-your-pants type thing; they'd planned this, for weeks or months even and they were good...and they'd had Fox for going on three days now. Tris tried not to think about what they were doing to her, what they'd already done.

'"Ready?" Eric's voice broke into her thoughts. Tris looked up at him unguarded briefly and Eric's resolve faltered just for a moment.

He bit his lip and muttered. "If I think about what they're doing to her right now I'll go crazy." His voice wavered slightly before lowering into a growl. "I will tear them to pieces and bathe in their blood when I find out who did this."

Tris didn't doubt him. Eric was the last person Tris would want to provoke at the best of times, but especially when it came to Fox. He'd mellowed since initiation with her in his life, but was still coldly capable of being the man Tris has seen during training. His love for Fox was unfathomably deep and so was the depths he was willing to go for her. She could only hope they weren't too late, she couldn't and wouldn't think about what Eric would do if they failed to save the woman he loved.

Turning, they jogged back to Zeke's side just as he finished giving directions.

"You all know Eric, and this is Tris, they are in command. Pierson, you run the plan by them, got it?"

A tall man with a serious expression nodded and at Eric's command, the team sprinted to a convoy of armoured trucks idling just outside the blast doors. Eric, Tris and Pierson climbed into the lead truck and Pierson pulled a map from his vest, pointed to the northwest corner of a city map, now bisected by a large red grid.

"This is ours. With your permission sir, we'll split into teams. Orders are to search entire area, top to bottom and below ground. Every structure, landmark, everything. Once done, we mark this map, radio in complete and set a yellow marker flag."

Eric nodded ascent, gaze locked outside, missing nothing as he roared down the street.

* * *

They found nothing in that square and after consulting the map and radioing Zeke, Pierson directed Eric to the next unsearched square and they began to search again. Zeke had implemented a mandatory eight hour cut-off for the teams. After eight hours of searching they were required to return to Dauntless for eight hours of rest. Eric was silent as Pierson drove the lead truck back. He'd said little to Tris as they'd searched, the air around him humming with concentration.

They reached the compound and Pierson's team disembarked. Maintenance staff swarmed to refuel the trucks so the next shift could leave. Eric remained in the cab.

"Eric?" Tris asked as she started to climb out and saw him.

"I'm going back out." Eric replied.

"Zeke wants us in eight hour rotations, we should take a rest."

Eric turned his gaze to Tris and she shivered. His gaze managed to be both seething and haunted. His skin was pale and shadows were forming under his eyes.

"I'm not stopping." He said with finality.

"You'll collapse soon." Tris replied.

"I'll jump off that bridge when I get to it. Right now I'm still looking for her." Without waiting for Tris to reply, he turned his gaze back out the windshield. Tris huffed and dropped out of the cab. After a quick bathroom break, she grabbed two sandwiches and bottles of water from a table in the corner and climbed back into the truck. The next shift of soldiers was due to head out in a few minutes, and were milling around gathering last minute equipment.

"Here." Tris held out the food.

Eric turned back to look at her and smiled briefly. "Thanks, Tris." He watched her in surprise as Tris sat beside him. "You're going back out too?"

Tris nodded. "I can do another shift."

Tris stopped after the next eight hour rotation and lay down on a cot in the security dorm to sleep. Eric headed back out, his jaw set. Tris was waiting for him when the shift returned and was fully prepared to drag him to a cot and tie him to it to make him rest, but he left the truck himself, swaying on his feet. Silently he allowed Tris to help him to the nearest cot and collapsed onto it. He was unconscious before Tris could pull the covers over him.

* * *

He slept through the next rotation but was awake when they returned, pacing and waiting. Tris climbed down and stepped towards him. It had been forty hours since they had started searching.

"Anything from Four yet?" Tris asked, unsuccessfully stopping a yawn.

"Not yet. I talked to him a few minutes ago. He's got three guys plus himself reviewing footage, and Max pulled two more from IT to help."

Tris nodded, stumbling as she grew slightly dizzy. Eric gripped her shoulder and pulled her towards the dorm. "Get some sleep, Tris. I'm heading back out." After helping her to the nearest bed, Eric squared his shoulders and turned away. The last thing Tris heard before she fell asleep was Eric barking orders to the soldiers.

* * *

The teams continued searching in shifts, meticulously covering every square inch of the city. Eric pushed himself past all limits of endurance, collapsing into a cot every few rotations to sleep like the dead for a few hours before waking and heading out again on the next round. Tris stayed searching with him, but was not able to keep up the near-manic pace Eric pushed himself to. The factionless were scattered and the few that the soldiers captured had no information. This frustrated Eric to no end, but Zeke was not surprised. The group he'd been worried about had been different than your average factionless; they seemed organized, committed to something; as if they had an inspirational leader who had found a common goal to work towards. These factionless had vanished after Fox was abducted, and none had shown themselves yet, they'd gone to ground, it seemed, and the only way to track them would be to find the Dauntless traitor. Their leader was proving to be a smart and cunning opponent.

Six days after Fox was ambushed, after four days of relentless searching; Four finally had a potential lead with the camera footage, but he forced himself to wait and confirm it with matching phone records. It would be disastrous to jump the gun and potentially tip off the informant; making him go into hiding, than to take a few extra hours to make sure they had found the correct information. His men found the supporting calls they had been searching for after a further three hours of non-stop searching and he grabbed a radio and contacted Zeke.

"Zeke. We've found the traitor, radio Eric and Tris back in. We'll wait until they get back to move in."

Zeke answered affirmative and contacted Eric.

"Coulter." Eric said gruffly. He'd pulled the squawking radio from his belt and then proceeded to nearly break an ankle tripping over a crumbling pile of concrete. Tris, a few feet away from him, stopped and waited, her hands on her hips.

"Four says they've found the informant. They're waiting for you to return before they move in."

"Roger. We're coming back right now. ETA 45 minutes."

Eric shot Tris a small hopeful glance before snapping back to the radio and bellowing for all teams to meet back at the trucks, triple time.

The wave of Dauntless soldiers running back to the truck like the devil was on their heels would have been humorous under any other circumstances, but Tris found herself pacing impatiently beside Eric until everyone arrived. She tried not to think about how long Fox had been held captive, tried not to think about what they would find.

Pierson hadn't even brought the truck to a full stop before Eric threw open the passenger door and leapt out, taking a few running steps to avoid falling. Tris leapt out behind him and stumbled slightly before following Eric over to where Four, Zeke and Max waited. Four pulled a folder out from under his arm and opened it. He passed out a photograph, a screen capture from a security camera.

"This was the first bit I found. This area of the complex is only typically accessed once weekly to change out the computer drives, and it's the central data hive where everything gets filtered. If you wanted to find out something fast and in a place not monitored religiously this is it. We rely on camera coverage and a door code to protect this room; plus it's located in a secure area of the compound only certain faction members even know about. You can see that he knows where the cameras are and does a pretty good job of avoiding them, but he forgot about the overlap on cameras 2-1 and 2-2 and this showed up. It's not enough for an ID but his uniform is clear enough to give us an indication of which faction members to focus our phone record search on. It took a few more hours, but we found a few anomalous outgoing calls to unknown numbers. We cross-checked and found more outgoing calls going back to the start of initiation training this year; when Fox first came to Dauntless. We haven't been able to track the receiver, but the person whose cell called out and who I think is seen on the camera is a guard named Scott Ellis."

"Scott?!" Max growled. "He's one of my most trusted elite squad."

"With more access than your average Dauntless guard." Four pointed out.

"Where is he now?" Max growled, betrayal blazing in his eyes.

Four pulled out a tablet and tapped the screen. "He entered his apartment three and a half hours ago and hasn't left. He's on temporary medical leave due to a shoulder injury and hasn't been a part of the search."

"Convenient." Eric spat. "Where's his apartment?" He tensed to move and Max stopped him with an arm across his chest.

"Meet us down at Isolation cell nine." Max said, his voice implacable. "We need him alive to tell us where Fox is and you're not in the right frame of mind right now."

It was on the tip of Eric's tongue to tell Max that he wasn't either, but he stopped himself. With a curt nod he turned and stomped away.

Max looked at Zeke. "Call up three of your men to assist, meet us at -?" He looked to Four.

"Apartment 3d in the West tower."

Zeke nodded and pulled out his radio.

"What are we going to do?" Tris asked.

Max turned his burning gaze to her. "We're going to take him down to cell nine and ask him who he's been calling and where they're keeping Fox. And if he doesn't answer, we'll persuade him...If that fails, I'll give Eric five minutes alone with him."

Tris nodded, shivering slightly. Max spoke again. "Go to the infirmary and speak to Dr. Lynch. Tell him to stand by, we will be needing him later for a Code Grey. Meet us at the apartment after."

Tris considered asking what a Code Grey was, but decided against it. Nodding, she turned and left.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Eric goes dark AF. Enjoy [especially you Damn you Kylie :)] and thank you for reading!**

Tris jogged into the isolation wing and stopped. Eric was pacing back and forth, his face dark. Max and the others hadn't arrived yet.

"Eric, what's a Code Grey? Dr. Lynch said to tell Max to 'stop going for the head so much'."

Eric stopped pacing and rubbed his jaw, stubble rasped. "Code Grey is used when a suspect is being uncooperative while questioning."

Tris made a face. "That's the official answer...what's the real one?"

Eric sighed and leaned against the wall. "It means Lynch is going to have his hands full for awhile...we always get our answers, it's just a question of how much pain is going to come first."

"So you've been part of one?"

"Several."

"Do you do the questioning?"

"Sometimes...usually I provide the incentive to talk."

"How long does it normally take?"

Eric raised his eyes to meet Tris'. The look in them was colder than Tris had ever seen and she felt a genuine shiver of fear. "I've had results in as little as five minutes...and as long as four days."

"We don't have that kind of time now." Tris replied.

"I'm not going to draw it out." Eric growled, pushing away from the wall as a commotion reached their ears.

Max, Four and Zeke appeared, three of Zeke's men's holding a fourth between them. If the restraints didn't give away that this was their traitor, then the bloody nose and slightly dazed expression did. Max was flexing his fist.

The soldiers disappeared into cell nine with Ellis and reappeared a few moments later.

"Suspect is secure, sir." Tris caught a glimpse of Ellis sitting upright in a wooden chair, his wrists and ankles bound to it with heavy leather restraints.

Max glanced over at Eric before entering. Eric followed him. Four leaned against the far wall as Zeke's three men waited at military rest.

"Zeke?" Max called.

"Coming sir." Zeke replied. He glanced at Tris. "I'd stay out if I were you." Tris nodded and moved to stand beside Four.

"Have you ever helped with these?" Tris asked, not sure she really wanted to know.

"No, Eric rarely needs help." Four replied. "I don't have quite the persuasive powers he does."

Tris stopped a shiver.

Max stood tall in front of Ellis and waited. Ellis had helped bring suspects down here before, he knew what he was in for.

"You know what's coming, why don't you just tell us what we want to know?"

Ellis shook his head, sweat dotted his brow. A low growl escaped Eric's chest as he paced like a caged animal by the door. Zeke stood between him and Ellis, although he doubted he could stop Eric if he really wanted by.

"Where is Fox?" Max asked, his voice low.

Ellis didn't respond.

"Who were you sending information to?"

Again, Ellis shook his head.

Max glanced over his shoulder. "Eric? Just a light one."

Eric strode past Zeke and stopped. Drawing back his fist he punched Ellis in the jaw and although he was holding back, Zeke couldn't stop a wince at the sound.

Ellis spat out blood and one tooth but remained silent.

Max glanced at Eric again, and Ellis' head snapped to the side as Eric punched him again. Ellis groaned this time as another tooth joined the first.

"Why aren't you talking? You know we won't stop."

"Fuck you." Ellis grumbled. His head snapped again, Eric wasn't holding back as much now. Ellis squeezed his eyes shut, took a few moments to regain himself. Eric moved to stand by Zeke.

"Tell us. Why did you betray me? Why are you helping them?" Max's voice was becoming lower and more dangerous. The energy around Eric was becoming scary.

"Say something." Eric purred, his voice causing Zeke to shiver.

"Fuck you!" Ellis barked. "He'll kill me if I tell!"

"We'll kill you if you don't, now, who?" Max repeated.

Ellis fell silent again.

"Fuck this." Eric growled, pushing past Max, pulling his pistol from his belt as he did so. He pointed it at Ellis' head.

"You kill me and you'll never know." Ellis snarled.

"Who said I'm going to kill you?" Eric jerked the pistol down and fired. Ellis' left knee exploded in a blossom of blood and Ellis jerked in the chair, screaming.

"Tell us!" Max barked.

"Fuck you!"

Eric ripped a knife from his vest and stabbed downwards savagely, right through Ellis' right hand, impaling it to the chair arm. Ellis pistoned his good foot as much as the restraints would allow and howled. Zeke was happy the cell was soundproofed.

Pulling the knife back out, Eric drew it lightly along Ellis' throat. "Ready to talk yet?"

Panting, blood trickling down his chin, Ellis swallowed hard.

Eric glanced over at Max and Zeke felt a thrill of alarm. He'd been present to a few of these interrogations, but he'd never seen such a ruthless and inhuman look in Eric's eyes before. It was like he was devolving right in front of him. Zeke hoped Ellis would talk soon, or this would get very bad and very messy, fast.

Eric waited a moment then drew the blade across Ellis' cheek, carving him from his ear to the corner of his mouth. Ellis made an animal sound of pain but didn't speak. Wiping the blood off the blade on Ellis' sleeve, Eric replaced it in his vest and cracked his knuckles.

"I'm through playing." He said lowly, all traces of Eric gone. He pulled the pistol out again and Ellis' right knee disappeared.

"Eric." Max said warningly. "He can't talk if he's dead."

Eric leaned forward and murmured into Ellis' ear. Zeke didn't hear what he said, but whatever it was made Ellis' eyes open wide in horror. Eric took a step back and waited.

"His name is Tom."

"Why did he pick Fox?" Max asked.

"They're both from Amity. I mentioned a new redhead initiate with a sweet ass to him and he got real interested, had me get more information on her."

"Why her?" Max asked, his voice sounding almost sad.

"Something about her getting him thrown out, something about an orchard and a grave."

Eric went motionless, a low growl rumbled from his chest.

"Where is he keeping her?" Max gritted.

Ellis fell silent. In the blink of an eye, Eric pointed the pistol again and Ellis' left foot blew apart.

"In a sub-basement!"

"A sub-basement where?!" Max roared.

Ellis hesitated again and Eric raised the pistol a forth time. Ellis' right foot exploded.

"Eric." Max warned again.

Blood streamed across the floor, disappearing down the drain in the centre. The smell of gunpowder and blood and terror was starting to get overwhelming. Zeke's ears rang from the gunshots. This was getting out of hand, this was definitely the worst interrogation he'd ever seen, the fastest to get ugly and Zeke knew that Eric wasn't done yet. Nothing was off limits right now, not with Fox's life in question.

"Talk goddammit." Zeke muttered.

Ellis exhaled raggedly. Eric stepped forward and stomped on the remains of his foot. Ellis gave a gargling wail before shouting. "The old Cook County jail, four stories below-ground, in an isolation cell!"

"How do we get in?"

"The building above-ground is just rubble, but they use a hidden entrance in the northwest corner; I don't know of any other entrances!"

Eric ground his foot down and Ellis choked back another wail. "Okay! There's another way in, on the west side, by an old sign that says 'Parking Lot B'! That's the only two! I swear, every other one is collapsed!"

"How many men with him?" Max asked, looking a little shaky, his eyes flicking warily to Eric.

"I don't know an exact number, no more than twenty!"

"Try again." Eric purred. When Ellis didn't respond Eric placed the pistol under his chin and lifted his head. At the look in Eric's eyes, Ellis went even paler and he swallowed, his breaths rasping in his chest.

"Thirty." He murmured.

"Are they on alert? Expecting us?"

"No! He's an arrogant fuck! He's sure you'll never figure it out and he thinks I'd never talk because I need what he has!"

"And what's that?" Eric asked.

"Shard." Ellis breathed, dropping his head. Eric snapped his chin back up with the pistol.

"Did you say Shard?" He growled.

"Best cook in the city." Ellis muttered, beginning to lose consciousness.

Eric took a few steps back and raised the pistol, Max reached over and rested his hand on Eric's arm.

"Don't" He said quietly. "He gave us the information."

Eric turned his head to look at Max and a cold wave of dread washed over Zeke. There was nothing in Eric's eyes right now; no emotion, no humanity, just...nothing. Max held his gaze steadily, something Zeke wasn't sure he would have been able to do.

Eric began to lower the pistol slowly and Zeke exhaled in relief, then jumped in shock as Eric turned his head back and raised it again, a shot ringing out. Ellis sagged in the chair, part of his skull and brains now painting the wall behind him, his remaining eye crooked in it's socket.

Eric turned back to Max. "Cancel the Code Grey." He growled.

"He might have had more information." Max retorted.

Eric shook his head. He strode past Max and Zeke, opened the cell door and left. Max glanced at Zeke before following.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter is short, but I think it packs a pretty good punch. I have a few different endings rolling around in my head, some happier than others, tell me what you want to see! Thanks again for all the support and reviews :) !**

"Deal with that." Max threw back over his shoulder at Zeke. Zeke nodded to his three men and they moved into the room.

"C'mon, Tris." Four pulled gently at Tris' arm. Tris craned her neck to see what Eric had left behind and instantly regretted it. Swallowing hard, she moved to Four's side, noting detachedly that he hadn't looked into the room once.

Eric was already raising hell by time Four and Tris made it back to central security and soldiers ran in all directions to gather equipment and carry out orders. Between bellowed commands, Eric consulted with Max at a table lit up by a 3D map. Four and Tris moved to stand on the other side of the table and listened as Eric and Max began formulating a plan.

* * *

Four squadrons of soldiers slunk quietly down the streets. One hundred twenty Dauntless; Eric, Tris, Four, Will, Uriah, Christina and Zeke among them. Max led the mission from the compound, organizing multiple factions in the background, while Eric was in charge on the ground. The air around him fairly crackled with tension and Four and Zeke made sure to stick close to him as they slunk along. Once at the old jail site, they would split into three large groups. One group would enter via the northwest corner, another to the west, while the third patrolled above-ground to catch anyone trying to either get in to help or get out to escape. The unspoken agreement throughout was that Eric was going directly for Fox, leaving the others to take down the factionless.

Reaching the site, they divided. Will and Christina would lead the patrol above ground, while Four and Tris led to the west. Zeke and Uriah had the northwest corner and Eric would go in with them, leaving the brothers to handle any resistance while he searched.

Eric hunkered down behind a large hunk of concrete as he waited for the word from the other teams that they were in position and ready to go. His eyes blazed with concentration, with banked rage, with anxiety. He was desperate to find Fox and at the same time scared of what he would find. If that fuck Tom had hurt her, he'd kill him; tear him apart and scatter the pieces.

"In position." Four's voice came over the radio.

"Above team ready." Came Will's voice.

"On my mark, give 'em hell... MARK!" Zeke barked.

Eric leapt up and ran to the hidden entrance. Uriah yanked the door open and threw in a concussion grenade. After the shockwave dissipated Eric sprinted forward and disappeared inside. He heard surprised shouts and scrambling; they'd preserved the element of surprise. Eric fired at three factionless men, running past their downed bodies and kept going; he had four levels to descend.

"We're right behind you, go!" Zeke yelled.

Eric's thoughts narrowed to one single point. Find Fox.

* * *

Tom's face appeared in the window again.

Fox struggled to her feet as Tom threw the door open. The sounds of gunshots and shouting reached her ears and Fox's heart began to race. Had Eric found her?

Tom slammed into her, his fist pistoning into her jaw. "You BITCH!" He roared. "How did they find us?"

So Eric _was_ here. Fox threw back her head and laughed, making Tom sputter with rage and stumble a step back.

Fox lowered her head and glared coldly at Tom. "You're dead now."

Tom's lips drew back from broken teeth. "Not without you." He growled. Raising his fist, he slammed Fox in the side of the head and she staggered.

Fox was too disoriented to fight when Tom suddenly freed her wrists and pushed her to the ground. Her senses were slow to return as he lay his body on top of her and began to paw at her clothes. But, as his hand ripped the remains of her shirt off, Fox exploded.

"You FUCK!" She roared, finding new energy to struggle beneath him. Tom gripped her chin roughly, hard enough to force her teeth through her bottom lip and clawed at her breasts. Fox, her arms weighted and numb, struggled to punch and tear at him, but her limbs wouldn't respond. As his hand left her chin, she head butted him. Tom groaned and his body sagged on hers for a moment. Fox tried to buck him off, but the only limbs she had control of right now where her legs, and they were slow to respond, Tom's legs pinning them down.

"Take this you miserable bitch." Tom growled and something flashed at Fox's side. She felt instant pain, followed by instant breathlessness. Fox watched in dawning horror as Tom pulled a large knife from her side, he'd stabbed between her ribs and into her lung. Her chest locked down, her side grew hot with blood. Pain and shock slowed her movements.

Fox felt rough hands at her waist, dimly heard the sounds of a belt buckle. Harshly Tom ripped at her clothes, reaching and yanking his pants down. His cock pressed roughly against her thigh and Fox moaned, barely able to draw breath, her vision wavering at the edges. He forced her legs apart and Fox felt him at her core. His breath panted harsh in her ear as he crushed down on her. He was going to rape her as she died, take her here on this bloodstained floor; and Eric was going to find her like this, dead and violated. _NO! You took my life, but you will NOT take my body!_ Fox screamed in her head, her vision sharpening again. A snarl ripped from her throat as she felt him begin to penetrate her and she retaliated the only way she could.

Snaking her head forward, Fox sunk her teeth into his throat. Hot blood exploded in her mouth, spraying her face and she closed her eyes, clamping down. Tom began to scream, his voice wavering, gargling blood and began to struggle on top of her. Fox bit down harder, something crunching between her teeth. His blood was threatening to drown Fox, choking down her throat already so tight with pain from her stab wound. The hot, coppery shower slowed, Tom's struggles on top of Fox hastening his blood loss. With one last effort, Tom reared backwards and he came free from Fox, leaving a large chunk of his throat between her teeth. Fox spat it out and snapped her head from side to side, struggling to escape the shower of red.

With a final gargle, Tom collapsed on top of Fox, his last breath rasping in her ear. Fox gasped, trying to breath, the dead weight on top of her only adding to the struggle of her locked down chest. Her body was cold, and Fox realized that she'd fulfilled her vow. She was dying too, but Tom had breathed his last breath first.

Faintly, Fox heard her name. Someone was screaming her name, getting closer. Tom's dead weight was pulled off of her and Eric's face appeared. Fox's vision narrowed to a tunnel, her chest a solid knot of agony. Eric's face was flushed and his eyes were wild, frantic. His mouth worked but Fox couldn't hear what he was saying over the increasing buzzing in her ears. Her vision began to grow darker, and it was hard to stay awake. The pain on Eric's face cleaved at her heart.

 _I_ _'_ _m sorry Eric. I_ _'_ _m so sorry. I_ _'_ _m so tired now...don_ _'_ _t cry please...I_ _'_ _ll take care of our baby...goodbye._

Her eyes stayed locked on Eric's as everything slowly went black.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This chapter might seem a little angsty and broody, but I wanted to show the aftermath of Fox's attack and rescue. Thanks again for reading. Thank you GuiltyMind and Damn you Kylie for your input ;)**

Eric raced down the corridor, searching frantically for Fox. The factionless that got in his way were mere insects to be cut down, he barely looked at them as he fired, scrambled over their bodies. Turning a corner, he saw an open door and bodies laying on the floor inside. His heart lurched.

"Fox! FOX!" He screamed, sprinting towards the cell. He threw the door fully open and stumbled to a stop. Blood painted the walls, the air was thick with it's coppery smell. Fox lay on the ground, pinned beneath an unmoving body, her features almost unrecognizable under a thick layer of red blood. Eric grabbed the body and yanked it off of her, realizing with horror that it's pants were down, that he'd been trying to force himself on Fox, perhaps had managed to rape her before he died. The rage that boiled in his veins was quickly overshadowed by his fear for Fox. She was gasping weakly for breath; he couldn't tell if any of the blood was hers, then he saw it. On her left side, partway down, blood bubbled out of a grievous stab wound and Eric saw the large blood-stained knife on the floor a few feet away.

"Fox? Baby? Baby, Baby! Breathe, breathe, breathe! Please, Fox! Don't leave me!" Eric was frantic, his words running together as he begged. Desperately he wiped the blood from her face.

Turning his head he screamed. "I need a medic! Now!"

He heard someone yell back, feet pounding.

He turned back to Fox. Her eyes were half-open, hazy with pain; watching him. He cupped her face as tears ran down his cheeks.

"Please, baby...don't go." He pleaded.

Fox's lip moved to speak but nothing came out. The light faded from her eyes and she relaxed in Eric's hands.

"Fox? FOX! NO!" Eric cried, pulling Fox against his chest, crushing her to him. A soul-wrenching, heart-breaking, blood-chilling cry ripped from his throat as he rocked Fox against him, his fingers curling against her back and into her hair.

Rough hands grabbed at him and more grabbed at Fox and Eric screamed a snarl, lashing out as Fox was taken from him. Strong arms banded his biceps and yanked him backwards. Someone slammed him back against a wall and Eric lunged forwards. More hands joined in pushing him back.

"Eric! ERIC! STOP!" Four's voice pierced Eric's mind and he slowed his struggle.

"It's okay, big guy. Calm down." Zeke's voice joined Four's and Eric focused on them, his tunnel vision for Fox widening to include the two men holding him against the wall.

"Jesus Eric. It's us, stop fighting." Zeke's voice was unsteady.

"Fox." Eric gasped.

Still gripping his tactical vest, Four pulled to the side to let Eric see. Medics swarmed Fox, shouting and calling instructions to each other. They were pulling her onto a backboard, completely ignoring Tom's body crumpled in the corner where Eric had thrown him. They lifted her and began to leave the cell. They'd attached a defibrillator to her chest and one of the medics pawed at the buttons as they ran. Another had an oxygen mask on Fox's face. Four held Eric against the wall as he tried to follow and Eric fought back, growling, desperate to stay with her. Zeke leapt back into the fray and Will and Uriah joined too.

"Just wait! Give them a chance to get her out!" Four panted, winded. Eric was fighting like a wildcat, his eyes blazing, unreachable in his rage.

Suddenly Tris pushed between the men and reached up. Her hand cupped Eric's face and it seemed to break the spell. He stopped struggling and looked down at her, the rage in his eyes disappeared; misery, anxiety and anguish replacing it.

"Fox." He whispered.

"We'll take you to her, just calm down now." Tris' voice was soft and Four watched in amazement. It was like watching a child walk up to a thrashing stallion and the stallion dropping its head for the child to stroke.

Tris nodded to Four and they began to follow the medics down the corridor. Zeke, Uriah, Will and Christina stayed back to begin the cleanup. The agreement before they'd left Dauntless was to loot the sub-basement for supplies and information, then plant charges and destroy it.

Max, anticipating something along these lines, had ordered an Erudite ambulance to be on standby, and it was just screaming away as Four, Tris and Eric emerged from the sub-basement. Soldiers roared up in trucks and began unloading supplies, preparing to help loot and destroy the jail.

"C'mon." Four jerked his chin to the nearest personnel truck and Eric followed, stumbling in sudden exhaustion. Tris stayed at his other side and, seeing the pain on Eric's face as he looked ahead, reached over and gently took his hand. Eric glanced at her, his eyes wet and lost and Tris squeezed gently, the touch of a friend comforting a friend. Eric swallowed hard and squeezed back, turning his attention back to the truck as Four reached it and opened the passenger door.

* * *

Eric didn't let go of Tris' hand as Four drove, hung on like a drowning man to a life raft. Four glanced down at their clasped hands and sent Tris a grateful, approving look. They both knew that Tris' comforting touch was probably the only thing keeping Eric from crawling the truck cab walls like a lunatic. His reaction was so unlike anything Four had ever seen from Eric; he had always been so cold and collected before Fox had jumped second behind Tris into the net and come into his life. She had woken something powerful in him, startled awake a fierce, blazing love and devotion that Four hadn't thought Eric to be capable of; that Four wasn't even sure he himself was capable of for Tris. Four's love for Tris, and hers for him, strong as it was; looked weak in comparison to the animalistic possession Fox and Eric shared. He would kill without hesitation for her, would die in a heartbeat to save her, and the thought of her leaving him alone, going where he couldn't follow would surely drive him insane before it killed him.

Four took a deep breath and flexed his fingers on the steering wheel. He had no idea what they would find when they reached the Erudite hospital, had no idea just what in the fuck he would do if the doctors hadn't been able to save Fox and Eric lost the fragile hold he currently had on himself. A non-lethal gunshot wound would probably be the only thing that would stop the big man before he hurt himself or anyone else. A quick glance at Tris told him she was thinking the same thing. Eric remained silent, staring forwards out the windshield.

Eric didn't let go of Tris' hand until they'd been shown up to the fourth floor of the Erudite hospital, where the surgical suites and intensive care unit where located. The doctor was waiting by the main desk, his uniform splattered with blood and Eric walked directly up to him.

The doctor turned tired eyes to him. "Fox LaRue?"

Eric nodded, his muscles coiled tightly. Four and Tris stepped to either side of him, prepared to act.

"She's alive...you Dauntless are tough." The doctor's exhaustion was muting the typical Erudite decorum.

Eric sagged in relief, his shoulder bumping Four's before he straightened and asked. "Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded. "You're her boyfriend?"

"Fiancé." Eric clarified, a slight edge in his voice that made the doctor stand up straight.

The doctor cleared his throat and nodded. He held out his right arm. "This way."

Eric glanced once over his shoulder at Tris and Four before walking away.

Reaching a set of doors marked 'Intensive Care' the doctor pushed them open for Eric to enter first. Eric stopped at the foot of Fox's bed, his eyes roaming over her. Her skin was an unhealthy grey, her bottom lip split and eyes blackened. She'd lost muscle, her collarbones more prominent. The nurses had cleaned her so she didn't look like she'd bathed in blood anymore. As the doctor approached, he pulled a chair close, sat down and hesitantly took Fox's hand, gingerly avoiding the bandages that covered her wrists and half-way up her forearms. The doctor took a seat on Fox's opposite side with a groan. Resting his hands on his knees, he began to speak.

"She has been beaten severely and more than once. She's suffering from a severe concussion and has extensive wounds to her wrists that look like they are from some type of shackle or restraint. The stab wound is her most serious injury, it collapsed her lung and filled her chest cavity with blood; we've repaired it and she is breathing on her own now." He hesitated now, but Eric's stare made him continue. "There are signs of attempted rape, but not a complete assault."

Exhaling hard, Eric dropped his head. Raising it again after a moment, he asked, his voice low. "She was pregnant, eight weeks...is the baby okay?"

The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry...no. The fetus is dead...There are indications of blunt force trauma to her lower abdomen, consistent with a hard kick, that appear to have caused a miscarriage."

Eric stared uncomprehendingly for a moment, his forehead furrowed as he asked. "A miscarriage...the baby's dead?"

At the doctor's reluctant nod, Eric groaned. Drawing a shuddering breath, he turned to look at Fox and gently raised her hand to his mouth. He pressed her knuckles to his trembling lips and closed his eyes.

The doctor continued. "I'm sorry to have to tell you, but it was only a partial miscarriage. Fox retained most of it and now is suffering from a rather serious infection. We've removed the necrotic tissue and have her on heavy antibiotics to fight it."

Eric opened his eyes again, and the doctor pretended they weren't shiny with unshed tears. "Will she be able to get pregnant again?"

The doctor stopped a grimace. "We'll have to see how she responds to the antibiotics."

Eric groaned again, then reached out tentatively to touch Fox's cheek. "Oh, baby." He murmured. Without looking away from her, he asked. "Why does she need bandages? Didn't you give her healing serum? Is she sedated?"

"No, the serum and antibiotics are incompatible together; unfortunately, with all our medical advances here in Erudite, we still have to resort to rather archaic treatments for infections; it is a thorn in the side of our medical research teams but I digress. The antibiotics are more critical right now so we have to wait. After a few days, if she responds, we can look at giving her the serum."

"Is she in pain?"

"We've administered painkillers."

"Is she in pain?" Eric voice went low and dark and the doctor couldn't stop a small shiver as he turned his cold glare to him.

"Most likely, yes. A little bit. Without her conscious to tell us, we can't say for sure."

"Will she wake up soon?"

"She's drifts in and out, it's common with a concussion, the level of trauma she's been through, and the fact that we are unable to administer the serum as of yet."

"I'm staying here with her."

"I doubt very much I could make you leave." The doctor said quietly. Pushing on his knees, he stood. "The nurses are available if you have anymore questions and can find me if you need me again."

Eric nodded, his eyes back on Fox.

"Would you allow your friends in to see her?"

Eric nodded again and the doctor left.

Reaching out, Eric brushed Fox's cheek with his knuckles. "You'll be okay, baby. I love you."

Fox's lips parted and she moaned faintly.

"Fox?" Eric asked hopefully, but Fox didn't respond again.

Eric looked up again as Four and Tris approached. Slowly Tris sat in the chair the doctor had just vacated and Four stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

"How is she?" Tris asked hesitantly.

"She lost the baby." Eric murmured.

Tris sighed sadly and Four massaged her shoulders a moment before saying. "We're sorry, Eric."

Eric nodded, his eyes locked on Fox. "I...I just want her to get better...we can try for a baby again later."

Tris nodded while Four dropped his head.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, all of Eric's attention on Fox.

Four cleared his throat. "Eric, do you want us to stay with Fox while you go shower, get changed? Max sent some clothes over for us. There's a shower down the hall...you can stay with her all you want after."

Eric paused before nodding. He stood, then leaned down and kissed Fox's forehead, murmured softly to her. Looking up at Four, he gave a small nod and left.

Four left Tris' side and sat heavily in the chair Eric had just vacated. He met Tris' eye and managed only a half-smile before a tear trickled down his cheek. He shook his head and wiped it away. "The whole thing just sucks."

Tris nodded in understanding.

"I mean, everything that happened to Fox back in Amity...she got over, she came to Dauntless and was making a real life for herself...and then all that shit comes back to get her...and takes her future."

Tris looked up at Four. "She has a future still, her and Eric will try again, this isn't the end."

Four nodded, lowered his head and scrubbed at his eyes, gave a weak laugh. "I know, I'm just tired, and...thinking about what Fox went through...she's like my sister now."

"Mine too." Tris murmured.

They sat in broody silence after that, with nothing really more to say. Eric returned, hair still wet and ungelled, pulling a tight black t-shirt down his torso as he walked, with black jeans and combat boots. A hooded sweatshirt hung over his arm.

"Did she wake up?" He asked.

Four shook his head then stood. Tris mirrored him.

"We have to go back to Dauntless, help finish some things, unless you want us to stay?" Four said quietly.

Eric shook his head. "I'll be okay. I'm not leaving her here, so Max will probably give you my shit to deal with-"

Four shook his head. "Don't worry about it. We'll come by later and see how it's going."

Eric nodded and Four clapped him on the shoulder.

Tris couldn't stop a tiny smile. She still remembered the tension and competition between these two men when she and Fox had first come to Dauntless as initiates. They were almost like brothers now and she and Fox had marveled at that together before, shaking their heads and giggling. _Fuck, Fox. I miss you._ Tris thought suddenly. _Please wake up soon._

Tris gave Eric a hug, _something else I never thought I_ _'_ _d do as an initiate_ , Tris thought with a small giggle and followed Four out.

Eric watched them leave then turned back to Fox. He couldn't sit there and just hold her hand, that was too far away. His heart had been racing unsteadily since he'd left to shower, in reality, for the last week it had been; and he needed to hold Fox right now to calm it. Kicking off his boots, Eric maneuvered his muscular body carefully onto the bed beside Fox, lay on his side facing her. Even unconscious, Fox reacted instantly to his proximity, squirming closer with a breathy sigh. Eric reached up and traced her cheek gently.

"Eric..." Fox sighed.

"I'm here, baby." Eric whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This chapter is slow and sweet, Eric and Fox together again. Enjoy and review :)**

Eric lay on his right side, sharing Fox's pillow, gently stroking his finger along her cheek and jaw line, content to just watch her sleep and be close to her. Fox lay on her back beside Eric, her left shoulder and hip touching him. As soon as Eric had lain beside her, Fox had relaxed fully and fallen into a deep sleep, a small moan escaping the lips Eric desperately wanted to kiss again. A nurse had come by awhile ago, frowning disapprovingly at Eric, and he'd glared at her until she'd left.

This was the calm before the storm, Eric realized. Once Fox woke, she'd ask about the baby; if she didn't already remember what had happened. Eric's heart ached for the loss of their child, and he couldn't fathom how devastated Fox would be. She didn't deserve this type of pain, and it killed Eric to not be able to shield her from it. The best he could do would be to hold her as she cried, comfort her with his touch and presence; with soft words and murmured promises that everything would be okay, that he loved her and always would; that they would try again for a baby if she wanted to. Eric's eyes roved over Fox as he stroked her face; some colour had returned to her skin, but she was still pale and drawn. She'd lost muscle mass, her collarbones now hard ridges, her cheekbones more pronounced. Her bottom lip was swollen and bruised, the delicate skin around her eyes a deep purple. Her knuckles were scabbed; she'd fought back, had refused to submit, had personified Dauntless. Eric gazed at the thick bandages on her wrists, they would be scarred unless she received the serum, he'd caught the glimpse of white bone as he'd fallen on his knees beside her in that hellish blood-soaked isolation cell. It didn't matter to Eric if Fox bore scars, he'd think her beautiful anyway, would kiss each mark and disfigurement until she believed it too. His body ached to touch hers again, he wanted to wrap himself around her, crush her to him and breathe in her unique scent; a scent that managed to both ignite his blood and relax him like nothing else at the same time. He'd been a tightly coiled spring for the last week, first with worry, then grief, followed by days of fear and anxiety, capped off with rage and devastation.

He didn't regret what he'd done to that piece of shit traitor; whose body Zeke's men had disposed of, he only wished he was still alive so Eric could kill him again, draw it out, a new cut for each of Fox's pains. His fist clenched beside Fox's thigh and he gritted his teeth. This wasn't the first time he and Max had been forced to question a suspect that way, wouldn't be the last, and Ellis would disappear just like the others had, no one asking questions about where he'd gone, why he'd left. Fox whimpered quietly and Eric turned his head to look at her. Her forehead furrowed and her bottom lip twitched.

"Fox?" Eric asked gently, caressing the back of her hand.

"Eric?" Fox breathed, her voice almost inaudible.

"Yeah, I'm here." Eric murmured.

Fox rolled to face him then gasped in pain, her eyes shooting open, wide with surprise.

"Fox?" Eric sat up, his hands hovering, unsure where to touch that wouldn't cause more pain. Fox eased back down and Eric gently touched her shoulder.

"You were stabbed on this side, baby. Just lay back." He looked around for the button to summon the nurse, finding it he stabbed it twice before easing back down beside Fox. He offered his hand and she took it, squeezing hard. Eric stroked her hair, murmured soothingly, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

The nurse appeared. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

Before Fox could answer, Eric growled. "She's in pain, she needs something...now." His voice brooked no argument and the nurse hurried away, her cheeks flushing.

"Fucking Erudite." Eric grumbled, jolting slightly when Fox's palm cupped his cheek. He turned to look down at her, eyebrow raised.

"Be nice," Fox murmured. "Or people are going to think you're an asshole."

Eric snorted in amusement, the only opinion he cared about was Fox's and they both knew it.

Fox began shifting cautiously to her right side and Eric raised his arm to give her room. "Baby, don't move, it'll hurt more."

"I want to be closer to you." Fox whispered, rolling over with a pained sigh. "Hold me, please."

Like she even needed to ask. Carefully, Eric scooted his bulk closer to Fox's back, wrapped his arm gently around her and settled his head in the crook of her neck. He exhaled and buried his head into her hair. "Fuck, baby. I missed you. I was so scared...I thought you were dead." The confession came easily, Eric had never been able to hide his true feelings from Fox; she was the only one allowed access to his heart.

"I knew you'd come for me." Fox replied quietly. "He said you'd never find us, but I knew you would."

"I'm sorry it took so long." Eric whispered.

"You came, that's all that matters." Fox was quiet for a few minutes, then a harsh sob escaped her, her body bending into a bow of pain.

Eric lifted his head in alarm. _That fucking nurse, what's taking so long?_ "Fox? Does it hurt?"

Fox shook her head and after a moment whispered quietly. "The baby...he's gone."

Eric exhaled hard, unexpected tears springing to his eyes; he lay his head back behind Fox's and tentatively tightened his arms. "I know baby. They told me...I'm so sorry."

Fox sniffed, tipping her head back against Eric's. "I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice bleak. "I couldn't keep him for you."

Eric raised his head again, hand coming up to stroke her cheek. "Don't think that way. You were beaten, he targeted you and he targeted our son, it is NOT your fault."

"I should have-"

"No." Eric said implacably, he would not allow Fox to blame herself for this. "It is not your fault. Never think that, ever." He gripped Fox's chin and waited until she unwillingly met his eyes. "If you want, we can try again...when you're ready."

Fox nodded and closed her eyes, tilted her head back to rest again against Eric's. Closing his eyes, he relaxed against her, his breath fanning her cheek. "I love you." He murmured.

The nurse returned in a flurry of motion and Eric opened his eyes to glare at her. She flicked her gaze briefly over Eric holding Fox against him and her mouth set in a thin line, but she knew better than to say anything now. This was one of those Dauntless savages, he was protecting his mate and it was well known in Erudite that they were like animals in this regard, possessive and violent if threatened. She inserted a needle into Fox's IV line and depressed the plunger on the syringe. The liquid was faintly tinged red and thicker than water; it would ease Fox's pain for at least six hours. She pulled another syringe from the tray she'd brought and injected that one too. This was Fox's antibiotic and the nurse felt the man's eyes on her as she worked. She had no doubt that if she made the wrong move, threatened Fox in anyway that this massive man wouldn't hesitate to attack, would pound her to red jelly on the floor.

"Thank you." The woman said softly and the nurse smiled at her, moved over to the side of the bed to look down at her.

"Do you need anything else? Are you hungry?"

"I am actually." Fox confessed.

"I'll bring you something, that shot I gave you should start working right away." The nurse stood and left, breathing deeply again as she left the room; that man was intense, his devotion to her patient an awe-inspiring and intimidating thing to behold; she wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of him.

Fox rested again after she ate, and Eric held her tightly as she cried in her sleep, murmured to her and pressed gentle kisses to her hair and throat, stroked her arm and tenderly down her side until she stopped crying and relaxed back against him. Lulled by Fox's warmth and scent, Eric too fell asleep, his face buried in her hair, their bodies pressed together.

* * *

Fox lasted three more days in the Erudite hospital before Eric worried that she would snap and lay the beatdown on someone.

Four and Tris had come by with clothes for the both of them; and Max had stopped by too, informing Eric that he was giving him another two weeks off to help Fox, and that he'd meet with Fox when she was ready to talk about coming back to work.

They met with the doctor who arranged for Fox to stay one more night and, since her infection had cleared, finally be given the healing serum, it was earlier than the doctor would have liked, but he understood that Fox was Dauntless and therefore patience wasn't a virtue. Eric spent the night with Fox sedated in his arms, her skin hot as her healing accelerated. She woke the next morning and waited nervously while Eric unwound the bandages from her wrists. The skin was smooth and clear again, with only a faint network of silvery scars, visible only if you were looking for them. Her ribs held a small mark as well, and Fox frowned in distress until Eric lowered his head and kissed it, then gently pulled her wrists to his lips to kiss them as well.

"You're beautiful." He breathed, lifting her chin to gaze into her eyes.

"You just want some." Fox snorted, softening her words with a grin.

"Well, yeah...that too." Eric grinned back.

Fox rolled her eyes and pushed at his chest. Eric caught her hands and pulled her to him for another kiss before letting her go.

"Ready to get outta here?"

"Fuck yes." Fox laughed.

* * *

The doctor had discharged Fox only after securing a promise from both Eric and Fox that she would stay on bed rest; and come back to be cleared by him before heading back into the training room. Eric was more willing to comply with that than Fox, and gave in to her pleas to go down to the Pit to celebrate her freedom with their friends only after she promised to spend the next full day in bed.

Eric hovered protectively next to her the entire time, rarely not touching her in some way, whether it be with his arm around her, or pulling her to sit on his lap or setting her between his thighs and hugging her from behind. Despite starting out strong, Fox quickly grew tired and, leaning back against Eric, asked quietly in his ear.

"Can we go home soon? I'm more wore out than I thought."

"Of course, baby." Eric murmured, standing almost instantly and pulling Fox up with him. Picking her up bridal style he said their goodbyes and began carrying her back to their apartment.

"Think I overdid it tonight." Fox murmured.

"Mmmm." Eric nuzzled Fox's hair. "You promised to stay in bed tomorrow."

"Only if you stay with me." Fox murmured back.

"Try and stop me." Eric whispered huskily.

Reaching their apartment, Eric entered the code and stepped inside. He kicked the door shut and carried Fox into the bathroom. Reaching in, he turned on the shower and set Fox gently down onto her feet.

"Want me to stay in here with you?" He asked. The doctor had pulled Eric aside yesterday and given him the rundown on how to help Fox recover; her body was almost back to normal due to the healing serum, but emotionally and psychologically she was still wounded and vulnerable; he'd cautioned Eric to prepare for rough patches ahead, nightmares, flashbacks, and irrational anger or sadness.

Fox lowered her eyes and nodded. Quietly, Eric reached out and began to undress Fox; once stripped he pushed her gently under the spray and pulled his own clothes off, climbing in behind her. Fox stood, her head lowered, letting the water pound over her shoulders and back. Although Eric had never shared the shower with Fox without holding against the wall and burying himself inside her, he told himself to forget that. Fox didn't need that right now, she needed time.

He washed her hair and cleaned her body, moving carefully over places he knew had been injured or bruised. Fox relaxed under his ministrations and waited quietly while Eric quickly soaped himself and rinsed off. Pulling on a muscle shirt and boxers, Fox slid under the covers and sighed as Eric climbed in behind her, tentatively touching her shoulder, not wrapping himself around her until she nodded in consent.

"Sleep well, baby." Eric murmured. If he was going to be completely honest with himself, he was finding it a little difficult to be laying beside Fox without making love to her, but he forced himself to relax. He would love her when she was ready, not before.

Fox's trembling pulled him from his thoughts. She was shaking, sobs wracking her body, but not making a sound. Eric tightened his arms carefully.

"Baby, I'm here, you're safe."

"Eric." She moaned, the agony in her voice tearing right into Eric's heart. He reached up and stroked her hair back from her face, pressed gentle kisses to her throat, murmured that everything was going to be alright. Gradually, her tears slowed and she relaxed into sleep.

Eric pressed one last kiss to her throat then lay back, nuzzling his face into Fox's hair. He'd hold her forever like this, would wait forever for her to return to him.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: More of Fox and Eric's struggle to return to normalcy. More shots in the feels...will Fox ever be the same? Thank you everyone for the reviews, follows, favourites and support, they light up my day! :)**

Fox startled awake, looking around quickly. Something had woken her, a stealthy sound followed by a thump. Fox sat up and looked past the end of the bed. Her breath caught as she saw a body on the floor, a pool of blood spreading beneath it. Fox's heart began to pound as she recognized the boxers the body wore, saw the awesome muscle definition in the obviously male back, a back she knew well and loved to run her hands over.

"Eric?" She whispered, a whimper escaping her as she realized that there was no way Eric could still be alive, not with that much blood beneath him; he was terrifying still.

A figure stepped from the shadows and stood beside Eric's body. The blade of the knife in his hand dull with Eric's lifeblood. With one long stride, the figure stood at the end of the bed and Fox's breath left her.

"You didn't really think you were rid of me, did you, bitch?" Tom growled. As he spoke he climbed onto the bed, crawled towards Fox and raised the knife. As the blade swung down Fox screamed and grabbed his upper arms, tried desperately to stop the blade's arc.

* * *

Eric jolted awake as Fox gasped beside him. In the ten days since Fox had come home from the Erudite hospital, Eric had become accustomed to Fox's constant nightmares, her broken sleep. The slightest twitch or noise woke him, he was always only half-asleep anyway; laying beside Fox, constantly on guard to protect her, even from her own mind.

Sometimes the solution was to wake her, but more often she responded quicker to Eric's arms around her, his voice low and soothing in her ear, his hand caressing her skin. Eric rolled to face Fox, saw her paralyzed with terror, her face twisted. He reached out to touch her and she exploded. Her arms snapped out, catching Eric on the chin and she began to scream. Eric grabbed her wrists, rolled on top of her in desperation. He pressed her wrists to the bed on either side of her head and began speaking lowly, trying to break through.

"Fox. Fox. Baby, it's a nightmare...it's me, baby wake up!" Fox fought him, keening in her throat and Eric let his full weight lay on her, pinning her down. He dropped his head to speak in her ear and was rewarded with a head butt that made him see stars.

"Fox!" He cried desperately, pushing down on her wrists, snapping his hips down on hers, trying anything to break her out of her nightmare. This was the hardest he'd had to work to get through to her and he was getting scared.

With one more harsh gasp, Fox's eyes snapped open, wide and unseeing, the animal fear in them unsettling.

"Fox!" Eric tried again.

The blank look left and awareness flooded Fox's gaze. Her body relaxed beneath Eric's and he let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Eric." She whimpered, the pain and desolation in her voice tearing at him. _Fuck, I feel so helpless here. I can_ _'_ _t help her, I can_ _'_ _t stop the nightmares._ Her eyes focussed up on Eric's, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

"Oh, Eric." She whispered and Eric let go of her wrists, dropped down beside Fox; his hands trailing down her arms to her waist. Instantly Fox rolled to him, clawed frantically at his chest and buried her head in his throat, pressing desperately to him, her breath harsh gasps. Eric wrapped his arms tightly around her, threw his leg over hers, knowing she needed full body contact now; he rested his forehead to hers and murmured soothingly, calming sounds and noises; because there currently no words that would help.

Fox trembled in his arms, his shoulder and throat soon soaked with her tears. Eric stroked her hair, crooned quietly and slowly she began to calm down.

"He was here." She choked. "He stabbed you...he killed you and then he came for me."

Eric didn't need to ask who 'he' was. It was always 'he'. The fucker wouldn't stay dead and gone, not in Fox's troubled mind.

"You're safe." He murmured. "He's gone, he's dead and he can't hurt you anymore."

"I know...I know that when I'm awake...but as soon as I fall asleep, he's there." Fox's voice was threadbare, hoarse from her screams.

Eric stroked up and down Fox's spine, began to sing an old song that Fox loved, from before the war. A slow, sad song that nonetheless was Fox's favourite, would relax her when nothing else would.

 _All around me are familiar faces,_

 _Worn out places, worn out faces._

 _Bright and early for their daily races,_

 _Going nowhere, going nowhere._

 _Their tears are filling up their glasses,_

 _No expression, no expression._

 _Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow._

 _No tomorrow, no tomorrow._

 _And I find it kinda funny,_

 _I find it kinda sad,_

 _The dreams in which I_ _'_ _m dying_

 _Are the best I_ _'_ _ve ever had._

Fox relaxed completely in Eric's arms as his deep voice sang low to her, his breath warm on her cheek. She sighed, the rest of the tension in her muscles draining out, and as Eric sang the last words, _Mad World_ , Fox was asleep again, a small smile on her lips.

Eric stroked her cheek and murmured. "I love you, baby. More than you'll ever know."

* * *

Fox kicked experimentally at the heavy bag. She'd been cleared by the doctor this morning to resume physical activity, and Tris had offered to come along with her. Eric had reluctantly gone back to work, facing a mountain of paperwork, and Fox was unwilling to languish in the apartment; she needed to get out and do something.

News of her abduction had made the rounds of the faction and Fox was rapidly growing tired of the pitying and/or curious looks that hit her wherever she went. When Eric was with her, it was easy to lean into his strength and let him glare at the offenders until they looked away, but by herself, Fox was reaching the end of her rope. The gym and heavy bag were a welcome distraction, taking her mind off of everything currently clouding her mind.

She and Eric hadn't been intimate since before Fox's attack and it was driving Fox insane. Eric was holding back for her sake and was having just as hard a time as her, Fox having heard him groan as he finished himself in the shower more than once lately. Physically, Fox was okay, her wounds were healed, but mentally she was still clouded. She wanted Eric, wanted his touch, wanted him inside her so bad, but panic would take over at the most inconvenient times; _his_ face swarming up in her mind's eye, Eric's touch on her arm suddenly feeling clammy and lecherous. Eric's low sexy voice would morph into _his_ wretched rasp, the words no longer igniting her blood but chilling her soul. She'd pull away, scramble out of the bed, knowing if she looked back she'd see the hurt in Eric's eyes that he tried so hard to hide. He realized that Fox was running away to escape _him,_ but it hurt nonetheless to have her rip herself out of his arms like he was tainted, like he'd been the one to break her.

Fox would escape to the living room or bathroom and Eric would wait, give her time to calm down. He'd give her a gentle smile when she returned, taking her hand chastely or delicately resting in over her shoulders until she sighed and curled towards him, murmuring an apology into his chest.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." He'd murmur back, tentatively stroking her back; sometimes she'd let him, other times she'd tense and Eric would pull his hand away, eliciting another choked 'sorry' against his collarbones, her sorrow cutting Eric deep.

Devastating as all of that was, what had happened two nights ago was even worse, and Fox's heart clenched remembering it. Fox had come out of the bathroom, ready for bed to see Eric's side empty. Curious, she walked out into the living room and saw him on the couch, his head in his hands.

"Eric? Come to bed." Fox whispered.

Without lifting his head, Eric shook it. _No._

Frowning in confusion, Fox moved to stand in front of him. She waited quietly for a moment before asking softly. "What's wrong?"

"I can't anymore." Eric sound broken, defeated.

A thrill of fear and panic went through Fox, he couldn't what? Couldn't be with Fox anymore? Not without sex? Couldn't handle her broken sleep and nightmares? What? Had he already found another woman who welcomed him to her bed, who gave him the release he so obviously needed and she couldn't provide him now? He was a man, and they'd been a very active and experimental couple before all of this shit had happened, Fox could hardly blame him for seeking it elsewhere. His next words tore through Fox's soul.

"I can't be with you right now."

Fox fell to her knees in front of him, hating herself, hating him. _Goddammit, why couldn't you wait for me? Why can't I get rid of the fear?_ She choked out his name, hating the weakness and desperation in her voice. _Just go._

Eric raised his head, his eyes widening as he read Fox's face. He reached out and grabbed her upper arms, his grip viciously strong.

"No! Fox! Not like that...I just can't...I can't lay beside you right now...I want you so bad, and I can't do that to you right now. If I go to bed with you, I'll slip...I'll start making love to you...I'll start _fucking you senseless_ and I won't be able to stop myself. It's not your fault, but it's been too long...I can't control myself around you right now. I shouldn't even be here, I should crash at Zeke's or something."

Fox stared in shock at him. She honestly hadn't expected this confession. She hadn't fully appreciated how tightly wound Eric was becoming, of course he would be, she was dying for it too.

She reached out to hug him, pulled back at the desperate warning in his eye. He was riding a razor-edge of control right now, Fox could see, the only thing keeping him from throwing Fox back on the couch and taking what he wanted, what he _needed,_ was his love for her, his complete aversion to causing her more pain.

"Go to bed." His voice was quiet and controlled, his hands fisted.

Fox stood and moved quickly to the bedroom, as she pulled the door shut she heard him mutter. "Lock the door."

She did.

She woke the next morning feeling cold, Eric's side of the bed too empty. He'd already left for work when Fox stepped outside the bedroom and she hadn't seen him all day. She'd retired to bed early and remembering Eric's request, locked the door again. She heard him enter the apartment and walk to the bathroom. The shower started and Fox felt an irrational shame as she heard Eric's low moans over the sound of the water. Reaching down, she slid her hand into her panties as she heard Eric's groaning speed up, began to rub herself. Tingles spread through her and her hand quickened. Eric's groans grew louder, more ragged. Fox felt her release building, she would come the same time as Eric. But suddenly, a hideous face with washed out blue eyes and dirty broken teeth appeared in her mind.

"That's right." Tom rasped. "Touch yourself for me."

Fox pulled away with a cry, dimly noting Eric's strangled groan from the shower. The face disappeared and Fox sat on the side of the bed, sweating, miserably turned on and too scared to do anything about it.

"Damn you, Tom." She growled.

* * *

"Fox? FOX?"

Tris' voice broke into Fox's thoughts and she started guiltily. "Sorry." She gasped.

Tris moved from her heavy bag to stand in front of Fox. "Are you okay, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Fox's legs gave out and she sunk to the mat. Eyes wide, Tris sat beside her.

"Fox? I thought things were getting better. Aren't they?"

Fox began to cry, sob uncontrollably and Tris pulled her against her chest, stroked her hair and let her. It all came out, the nightmares, the new fear of intimacy; the horrible visions of her attacker that wouldn't leave her alone, even after death; even Eric forcing himself away from her to keep Fox safe from himself.

Tris listened to it all quietly, wiping the occasional tear away as she did. Fox was really hurting, she'd been putting on a good front, fooling everyone; except maybe Eric; and Tris felt a hot stab of guilt for not looking closer.

"I'm sorry, Fox."

"Not your fault."

"What can I do?"

"Just let me cry right now."

"Okay." Tris fell back silent. She let her mind drift, began to think of ways to help Fox overcome at least some of her problems. She needed to get rid of this ghost that kept following her. A light bulb went off.

"Fox. I think I know something that will help!"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Oh wow, inspiration struck and here's another chapter. Enjoy :)**

Fox groaned raggedly. "What? I'll seriously try anything."

"The fear landscapes!"

Fox frowned, not understanding. Tris sat back and took Fox's hands. "I think it's safe to say that this Tom is now one of your fears?" At Fox's nod she continued. "Well, you take the serum and go into the simulation, you'll be able to face him, kill him again. Face the fear and stop it."

Fox stared at Tris, could it really be that simple? She asked as much.

Tris made a face. "I don't know, we could ask Four. He knows more about the simulations than us. We can go ask him now, he's in the control room."

Fox nodded. "Just let me clean up a little first."

Tris giggled, swiping at the last of her tears, "me too."

They hurried to the nearest bathroom, washed their faces and pinched their cheeks to even out their complexions. Tris led the way to the control room, Fox tailing her nervously. Hesitation was creeping in now, face Tom in a simulation? Her first time under had literally scared Fox to death, what was she walking into now? She stopped behind Tris, realizing they'd reached their destination. Tris knocked and after a moment Four answered. His serious face broke into a smile when he saw the women and he spoke quickly over his shoulder before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

"Hi, ladies. How are you doing?"

"Not too bad, Four. We've got a question." Fox replied.

"Oh?"

Tris spoke up then. "What would happen if Fox went under a fear simulation again? If she could face that asshole that abducted her, killed him again; would it help with her nightmares and flashbacks?"

Four rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and tipped his head back, thinking. "I don't know." He admitted. "We've never tried it for something like this. Maybe it would help, let you face it and get closure; but it could also implant the fear more solidly in your mind; both are possible...and whichever way it goes, you remember stage two training, it will get worse before it gets better."

Fox nodded. She'd expected to hear the last part, but hadn't thought about the rest. _Implant the fear more solidly in my mind?_ That definitely wasn't something Fox wanted.

"If I decided to try it...would you help me?" She finally asked.

"Of course." Four replied immediately.

Fox chewed her bottom lip for a minute. "Let's do it...I can't keep going like this."

Four nodded. "Okay, you want to start today? How about just after supper?"

"Yeah, okay. Anything special I need to do to prep?"

Four began to shake his head, then thought better. "I'd get ready for a few rough nights."

"I'll stay with you Fox." Tris spoke up. A look passed between her and Four and Fox spoke.

"It's hard right now to be around Eric and be scared of...you know."

Awareness dawned and Four nodded. "We'll both stay with you if that'll help?"

Fox breathed out a sigh of relief. "That'd be great, Four. Thanks."

He winked at her. "Come by the fear landscape room around seven. Pack a bag and you can stay at our place tonight."

Tears threatening, Fox grabbed Four in a quick hug than turned to Tris, embracing her too.

Tris giggled, trying to lighten the mood. "We better go. You should tell Eric what's going on."

Fox nodded. "I should do that now...come with me?"

Tris nodded and they left.

* * *

Fox hesitated before knocking.

"Come in." Eric's voice barked.

Swallowing, Fox opened the door and stepped in. A whole gamut of emotions crossed Eric's face; from happiness to fear to lust to nervousness. Seeing Tris behind her added confusion to the mix.

"Got a minute?" Fox asked.

"Of course, baby. What do you need?"

Fox took a deep breath. "Four is going to help me to go through my fear landscape tonight."

Eric's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Tris thought of it, maybe if I can face Tom in a simulation, I can overcome his hold on me."

Eric considered a moment before leaning back in his chair. "Maybe, but it's not a guarantee. It could make it worse."

Fox nodded. "Four told me that...but I have to try something."

"Maybe you just need more time." Eric said quietly and Fox caught a flash of pain in his stormy grey eyes.

"I'd like to try...and after...I'll be staying over at Tris and Four's, in case my nightmares get bad."

The pain was back in Eric's eyes, along with frustration and... _helplessness_? Closing his eyes briefly, he opened them again and was back to calm, collected Leader Eric.

"That sounds like the best course of action right now. Can I do anything?"

Fox shook her head and stood. Tris mirrored her.

"Tris? Give us a minute?"

Tris nodded and left.

Eric stood and walked around the desk. He sat against the edge and reached out for Fox's hand. She let him take it, biting back a hiss at the delicious tingle it sent up her arm. Eric stroked the back of her hand for a minute before speaking.

"I'm sorry." He murmured.

Fox frowned. "For what?"

Eric sighed. "I'm becoming part of the problem, you don't need to be worrying about me right now too."

Fox took a hesitant step forward and reached up, running her hand over his carefully gelled hair. Eric's eyes closed as she cupped the back of his head. Although she wanted to, Fox didn't dare test Eric's control by kissing him now. She pulled her hand away, took a step back. Eric opened his eyes again, they were nearly black; the pupils blown. Visibly restraining himself, he spoke.

"Be careful baby. Call me tomorrow and let me know how you're doing."

Fox nodded and stepped away. She glanced back over her shoulder as she reached the door, her skin beginning to tingle from the intensity of Eric's gaze. She pulled the door shut behind her.

* * *

"Be brave, Fox." Four said gently as he injected the serum in her neck.

Fox closed her eyes, felt the change in her surroundings. Opening her eyes, she looked around. She was in a desolate part of the city, the same area where Tom had ambushed her and killed Bronson. Fox began to walk, and almost instantly picked up following footsteps. _This is my original fear, of being pursued and attacked. It's just moved from the Amity field to the city. I'll be surrounded by hundreds of red eyes again right away._ Fox stopped, refusing to run and called out.

"I'm not afraid of you. Show yourselves!"

Just as Fox was expecting, dozen upon dozens of red eyes suddenly opened, glaring at Fox. She glared back and felt herself fall back, hitting cold ground. _The grave again._ This time the face that appeared above her was Tom as an adult, not the boy from her previous simulations. He laughed down at her, showing his blackened, broken teeth and dropped the first shovelful on Fox. Fox willed herself to relax, this was how she'd gotten out in her final test, by relaxing and embracing her fate. It worked even quicker this time and suddenly Fox was standing. She opened her eyes.

She was back in the sub-basement, in the isolation cell; her wrists shackled. Every detail of the cell was there, the blood stains, the weak light, the scars on the wall, the pain in Fox's body. The door in front of her opened and Tom stepped in, holding the same knife he'd stabbed her with, that he'd stabbed Eric with in her nightmare. He stopped and smiled at her.

"Just can't stay away, can you?" He sneered.

Fox sneered back. "You can't hurt me anymore."

Tom barked a laugh, the sound a rusty gate swinging in the wind. "That's what you think. It's your fate to be with me, just accept it."

Fox spat in his face, rage threatening to overwhelm her. Tom snarled and leapt, knife raised to gut her.

Fox slammed back to consciousness, her eyes snapping open. Tris and Four stood over her.

"I'm sorry, I had to pull you out. Your heart was racing too fast." Four said, sweat on his brow.

Fox exhaled, feeling weak.

"Can you sit up?" Four asked and, at Fox's nod, helped her to sit.

"Let's go lay you down." He murmured, pulling Fox to her feet. Tris moved to her other side and began to help walk Fox out of the room. Reaching their apartment, Four opened the door and continued inside, his arm around Fox's shoulders. Tris held her around her waist. They'd moved a few weeks previous to a two-bedroom apartment and led Fox now to the spare bedroom.

Fox sat down with a groan, then lay back on the mattress. Almost instantly she was asleep.

* * *

She snapped awake hours later, panting. She'd been back in the isolation cell again, and she rubbed her inner forearm gingerly; Tom had managed to slash her arm before she'd startled herself awake and her skin still tingled.

Tris sat up with a yawn. She'd pulled Fox's boots off and, with Four's help, had lain Fox under the covers. She'd come back a few hours later to climb in beside Fox, to be here for the nightmares. Four slept in the master bedroom, and he appeared at the doorway now.

"Are you okay?" His deep voice rumbled.

Fox nodded as Tris put her arm around her shoulders.

"It'll get better." Tris murmured.

Fox nodded tiredly, lay back on the bed. Her eyes drifted shut again.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This chapter is a variety of things, Fox's continued recovery and some lighter parts too. Thank you for all the reviews, and, thank you Damn you Kylie, i am trying to keep Fox's reactions realistic, so I'm relieved you feel so too. Enjoy!**

The next week was just a repeat of the same hell. Tom in the simulations, Four forced to pull Fox early because of her heart-rate, and then nightmares through the night. Four and Tris were endlessly supportive, their Abnegation upbringing an asset, but Fox was getting frustrated. She missed Eric so badly she could hardly breathe when she thought about him and cried herself to sleep each night that he wasn't beside her. She dared not go to him, not even to see how he was faring, that wouldn't be fair to him. She relied instead on Four and Tris' observations as they met him in the offices or the mess hall, or passing in the Pit, and they weren't favourable. Eric was pale and drawn with the strain, the aura of intensity that was his natural presence almost overwhelming now.

The only bright spot for Fox was that fact that she was making it farther into the simulation each time before Four was forced to pull her. She took that as a sign that she was gaining the upper hand on her fear; that she would soon conquer it...if she didn't lose her mind first.

With the free time Fox still had, she'd not yet returned to work, she trained obsessively in the gym. Sometimes Tris, Four, Zeke, Christina, Will or Uriah was able to join her, but she often found herself alone, and it suited her. No one saw the tears that fell as she punched the heavy bag, imagining Tom strapped to the bag, absorbing her every hit and kick; no one could hear her whimper as she ran, remembering the helplessness she felt as Tom attacked her; no one was there to watch her collapse in on herself when it all got to be too much.

But as the days passed, it became easier. Her tears lessened, she bit back the whimpers, then didn't have to, because they never came; and she was able to stay intact as everything began to close in on her; she began to be able to push back. Her daily jogs, first around the training track, soon ventured out of the compound, and before long she was almost doubling the usual distance she'd kept at before her attack. The strength and muscle definition she saw in the mirror now inspired her to fight back against her fears, and then there was her desperate desire to be with Eric again; to hear his low deep voice croon in her ear, feel his fingers gently trace the curve of her breast, or track the hollow of her hip as she lay beside him, to feel him push inside her and see the relief and ecstasy in his face. That was her goal, to be with Eric again; nightmares she could handle, as long as she could be with Eric, in every way.

* * *

Eight days after she began the fear simulations, Fox finally defeated Tom before Four had to pull her out. She stood victorious over his corpse, her boot coated in his blood and brain matter because she'd stomped his skull in. Fox didn't fool herself into thinking that this meant the end, and she was right; her nightmare that night was the worst yet, sleeping afterwards being impossible. Fox ended up out at the Chasm; staring into the water, waiting for her heart to slow back down and sleep to claim her once more. Four and Tris were asleep when she returned and she silently went back to bed; she'd kept them up enough tonight, every night so far.

* * *

The next morning, Eric called Four into his office. When Four entered, Eric nodded tiredly to the chair opposite his desk and put his head in his hands.

"How is Fox doing?" He asked, his voice ragged.

"She killed him yesterday."

Eric looked up in surprise, the beginnings of hope in his gaze, and Four continued hesitantly.

"But then she had her worst night yet. She left and sat out by the Chasm for awhile."

Eric sighed, scrubbed his face with his hands. "Is this going to work, Four?"

Four took a deep breath. "I think so, she wouldn't have been able to kill him yesterday if she wasn't making progress."

"But how much longer...I miss her so bad."

Four nodded quietly, the strain was evident on Eric's face, by the dull look in his eye. His fingers moved restlessly, shredding bits of paper and moving paperclips back and forth, twiddling pens. It was such a departure from his usual state that Four was seriously worried for him.

"She's strong." Four reminded him. "She's been through rough times before...back in Amity, and she came back. And you've been separated from each other before..." he trailed off as Eric's shoulders slumped.

"I don't want to be _separated_ anymore, I can't ." Eric growled, his voice low and...lost.

Four had never seen this level of vulnerability from Eric before, not when he and Fox had to hide their relationship, not when he thought Fox dead, nor when they had searched endlessly for her through the city; and Four realized that he and Eric were truly friends now, that Eric was trusting him and Tris to take care of Fox for him and was allowing Four a glimpse into his tortured heart. A few months ago, before initiation started and their worlds were turned upside down by a quietly courageous Stiff and an angrily independent Banjo; Four would never have guessed he'd be here, within five feet of Eric without the desire to kill him. If Fox felt like a sister now, well, Eric felt like a brother; and Four's resolve to help them only strengthened.

Surprising himself, a childhood in Abnegation hard to overcome at times, Four found himself leaning forwards and extending his hand. Glancing up at Four, Eric took it and Four squeezed. He felt Eric squeeze back for just a moment before they both pulled back.

"Take care of her, Four." Eric mumbled, pushing a hand through his hair.

Four stood. "I will, I am...Tris and I...take care of yourself, Eric."

Eric nodded briefly but didn't raise his head, his fingers beginning to shred paper again as Four left.

* * *

Fox opened her eyes and, unable to stop herself, grinned and let out a laugh. Four grinned down at her and extended a hand to help her sit up.

"You got him?" Four asked, although he'd seen on the monitor.

Fox nodded. Tom's death had been violent and bloody, and while it hurt Four a little bit to see Fox devolve like that into such a ruthless destroyer, he knew she needed this to empower her and provide closure.

"Last night wasn't too bad." Fox said hesitantly, as if acknowledging it would jinx her.

Four nodded, "we didn't even hear you."

"They're getting less and less, I can wake myself up before it gets bad...this is working."

Four smiled. "Yeah, I wasn't sure at the beginning, but I think so too."

Fox's face went serious. "If I don't have any nightmares tonight, I'm going to try going back to Eric."

Four paused. When Fox went back to Eric, it was going to be intense; neither one would be able to control themselves and that had the potential to get messy if Fox wasn't ready yet.

Fox read these thoughts on Four's face. "I need to...if _he_ comes back, I can push him away now...I can't stay away any longer...I miss him too much."

Four nodded, looked down. He had been careful since his meeting with Eric, careful to not let on to Fox how torn up Eric was, trying not to add to her stress. "He misses you too."

"If it's half as much as I miss him..." Fox trailed off, then, clearing her throat, stood up. "It's supper time, you hungry?"

Four nodded with a smile, reached over and turned off the computer. "After you."

* * *

Fox opened her eyes and looked around her, for a moment she couldn't believe it, then she sat up with a laugh. Morning sunlight shown through the window of the spare bedroom; Fox had slept through the night, if she'd suffered a nightmare, it had been mild enough for her to forget. The door flung open and Tris stood there, a huge smile on her face.

"No nightmares?" She asked, excited.

"No nightmares!" Fox crowed back, leaping off the bed and hugging Tris. Pulling away, Tris wiped away a tear, did the same to Fox's wet cheeks.

"You're going home today?"

Fox nodded. "I think I'll go over and have supper ready when Eric comes home."

"He stays late every night now." Four said, walking up to them from the bathroom. "I'll see if I can manufacture an excuse to get him to leave early." He grinned and leaned over, pressing a kiss to the top of Fox's head.

"I have today off, do you want to go to the gym?" Tris asked.

Fox smiled widely. "Yeah."

"You two should go spoil yourselves," Four said. "Go see Tori and Bud, get new ink, a haircut...buy some new clothes."

Tris turned to Fox, her eyes huge with excitement. "My treat!" She squeaked.

" _My_ treat." Four said firmly. "Both of you, here." He handed Tris his points card.

Unexpected tears formed in Fox's eyes and she hugged Four tightly. Pulling away she turned to Tris and embraced her again.

"Thank you, both of you...so much." Fox whispered.

Four flashed her that adorable grin of his and ruffled her hair. "You're welcome. I gotta go, so have a good time." After kissing Tris goodbye, he left and Tris turned back to Fox.

"Let's go!" She squealed.

Tris dragged Fox first to the hairdresser and pushed her into the nearest chair before collapsing with a giggle in the one beside her.

"We should do something really different." She grinned.

"You'd look good with a pixie." Fox replied and Tris turned to the mirror contemplatively.

The stylist, the same one who'd given Fox her faux dreads, arrived and said. "Hey you, how you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks. I think I'm going to lose these dreads though, try something new."

"Anything in mind?"

Fox beckoned her down and whispered in her ear.

* * *

"HOLY SHIT!" Tris shrieked as Fox turned to face her. The stylists had turned Fox and Tris away from each other so they couldn't see what the other was getting.

"You look great, Tris. It really suits you." Fox replied. Tris had chosen a pixie cut, the longest strands on the top of her head, the sides shorter.

"Thanks, but...holy shit Fox, you look amazing!"

Fox blushed and looked back at herself. At her instruction, the stylist had removed her faux dreads, which were reaching the end of their life anyway and had taken just a few inches off the bottom, lightly layering it. The biggest change though was the left side of Fox's head was now undercut, shaved right down from her part to behind her ear. Fox could flip her hair over her head to disguise it, but that wasn't likely to happen, because the stylist had dyed the remaining shortened hair a beautiful silvery lilac color. It stood out from her natural fox red and even the stylist looked smug and impressed.

Fox grinned wickedly over at Tris. "You haven't gotten a piercing lately."

"Neither have you." Tris replied.

"I'll go if you'll go." Fox countered.

"Deal."

* * *

Minutes later, Fox now sported a second bottom lip piercing, forming what the piercer informed her what used to be called a snake bite. After Tris stopped blushing because of what Fox whispered in her ear about tongue piercings and blowjobs, Tris opted for one and couldn't stop sticking her tongue out to look at.

"Lucky Four." Fox grinned, earning a punch in the arm.

"Okay, tattoos." Tris proceeded to drag Fox into the tattoo shop and deposited her in Bud's chair. He swiveled on his stool to face Fox and his face lit up.

"Hey, little lady."

"Hey Bud."

"Whatcha wantin' today?"

Fox grinned. "You know Eric's maze on his forearms?"

Bud nodded. "It's really Tori's design, but yeah."

"Could you do the same on either side of my spine?"

"Tori?!" Bud yelled over at Tori, who was deep in discussion with Tris.

"Yeah?"

"Can I use that maze you designed for Eric on Fox here?"

"Yeah."

Bud turned back with a smartass grin and Fox laughed. Peeling off her shirt Fox lay face down on the bed and relaxed. Bud had to undo her bra to fully access her spine and Fox laughed as he fumbled with it, unable to make it open.

"Tris? Tori? Some help here?" He whined.

"I'll do it." Fox snickered, reaching behind her and popping it open on the first try.

"Never could figure the damn things out." Bud mumbled as he got to work.

Tris was done before Fox and came to sit by her head, she tried to read Fox's palms and gave up, instead ran her hands over Fox's new lilac undercut.

"What did you get?" Fox asked.

Tris turned to show her. On the back of her right shoulder was a fox. She grinned over her shoulder down at Fox, who laughed and grinned back.

"Looks good."

"Yours is looking good too, they match Eric's, right?"

Fox nodded and lay her head back down. A half-hour later Bud was finished; he spread a layer of healing cream on her back. Fox stood, carefully holding her bra over her chest and looked in the mirror. A delightful heat rushed through her, the ink was an exact match to Eric's and looked amazing. Bud had added the tiniest curve as the maze traveled down and it fit Fox's body perfectly, just like the leadership bars he'd done on her ribs. She turned back to him with a wide smile and pulled him into a one-armed hug.

"You look great, Fox." Bud murmured. "Eric's a lucky guy."

"I'm a lucky girl." Fox murmured back, pulling away.

* * *

Fox checked on the dish in the oven, then pushed it back in and shut the door. After their tattoos, Fox and Tris had gone clothes shopping. Tris found an amazing pair of leather pants, and Fox fell in love with a stunning A-line black dress with a wicked slit up the side. It was pricey and Fox refused to allow Four to pay for that too, on top of the amazing day he'd already bought them, so she used her own points for the dress and, when Tris' attention was diverted to a pair of shoes, paid for the pants as well. Tris' face when she found out was priceless, and she hugged Fox hard enough to hurt.

Fox had returned to her and Eric's apartment with enough time to shower before starting supper. Princess fell all over herself welcoming Fox home and insisted on sitting just outside as Fox showered. With a wicked grin, Fox pulled on one of Eric's button-down shirts, it was a charcoal grey and hung just low enough to cover her naked ass.

Fox had conspired with Four to make up an excuse to get Eric home early. At the chosen time, Four would call Eric and tell him that his neighbours were complaining that Princess was yowling like crazy and wouldn't stop. That would be sufficient for him to leave his office and return to the apartment. There, Fox would be waiting with one of Eric's favourite suppers, a chicken and rice in mushroom sauce dish and her own half-nude body.

A slight feeling of trepidation nudged at Fox's mind; what if thoughts of Tom intruded again? Fox knew she was strong enough now to push them away, but would she actually be able to, when it really mattered? _Yes, you will._

Fox glanced up at the clock, saw with a thrill that it was time. Four would be calling Eric now. Fox pulled the chicken out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool. She felt a strange mix of excitement and nervousness. Her hands shook even as her core tingled. She wasn't sure about Eric, but it wouldn't take Fox very long to peak tonight, she was half-way there already just anticipating Eric's hands on her, his cock-.

Fox broke out of her thoughts at the sound of the keypad beeping. She moved to stand just outside the kitchen, Eric would see her as soon as he walked in.

The door swung open and Eric hurried inside. "Princess-" He broke off, his eyes widening as he saw Fox. His eyes went black and he slammed the door shut.

"Baby." He breathed as he launched himself at her.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: OMG, smut, smut, nothing but smut. You can't blame Eric and Fox, they've waited long enough! Thanks for sticking with me, enjoy! :)**

Eric slammed into Fox, wrapping his arms tightly around her. They crashed to the floor, Eric's hand coming up to cradle the back of Fox's head at the last moment. Their lips crushed together, a guttural groan tearing from Eric's chest. His tongue swept across Fox's lips and she parted them, moaning when his tongue entered her mouth. Eric pulled back far enough to look at her and brushed his hand down Fox's face, his eyes wide with wonderment.

"Are you okay? Are you really here?" He breathed.

Fox answered by pulling him down to kiss her again. Eric kneed Fox's legs apart, began to grind against her centre. Fox purred and pulled at Eric's shirt, running her hands up his sides. Eric reared back long enough to rip the shirt over his head before dropping back down. He was hard, his erection rubbing deliciously between Fox's legs and she yanked impatiently at his belt. Eric ran his hands under Fox's shirt, up her thighs and growled low in his throat when he realized Fox wore nothing underneath. Buttons went flying as he ripped his shirt off Fox, dropping his head to her breasts. Fox pushed Eric's jeans down his hips with a triumphant grin and reached down to stroke him. A visceral moan left his lips.

Eric pushed inside Fox in one smooth, violent push, shuddering into her neck. For a moment, he just lay there, occupying his territory and enjoying it, then he began to thrust. A hoarse cry tore from his throat, his eyes squeezed shut. His feet dug at the floor for traction as he slammed into Fox, each thrust harder than the last. Fox tightened her legs around his hips, pulling him closer. This wasn't making love, this was good hard fucking, and Fox felt herself shatter; she knew she wouldn't last long, not tonight.

Fox arched under Eric, screaming his name as stars burst in her eyes. Clawing at Fox's hips, Eric came impossibly hard, roaring inarticulately as his hips snapped into Fox, spilling himself inside. Panting, he collapsed onto her and she wrapped her arms around him, hugged him tightly to her, enjoying his weight as Eric gasped in her throat.

"Fuck." Eric muttered, his voice ragged. He was still hard inside Fox and she moved her hips invitingly. Eric groaned, reaching down to grip her thighs and, in an impressive display of strength and balance, stood, picking Fox up at the same time, his cock still hard inside of her.

"Nice trick," Fox giggled, then nibbled the tender skin beneath his ear.

Eric groaned again and slammed Fox against the nearest wall, began thrusting into her roughly, his teeth latching onto the tender skin of her throat. Fox's ass slapped the wall and she squeezed her internal muscles, tightening around Eric, making him throw his head back with a guttural cry before dropping it forward again, looking down as he thrust to where there bodies met, his pants of desire harsh and undeniably masculine.

He looked back up at Fox, his eyes pure black and claimed her lips in a hard kiss, their tongues dancing. Fox cupped his cheeks, Eric swallowing her cries as she shattered again, tremors shooting through her limbs. Eric groaned in his throat, his legs trembling as he found his release as well, slamming into Fox again and again as he pulsed inside her. Panting, he leaned his forehead against the wall, rasping by Fox's ear.

"Fuck baby," he breathed, his voice husky. "I missed you so fucking much, I can't get enough of you."

"Mmmm, me too," Fox murmured, pulling Eric's head to rest in the crook of her neck. They rested a minute, breathing harshly, bodies sweat-slicked and pressed together, skin tingling with long-missed carnal contact.

Eric stood, pulling Fox against his body and turned to the bedroom. Setting Fox down on the edge of the bed, he stood in front of her and tipped her head up to look at him, began stroking her cheek tenderly, gazing down at her; the depth of emotion in his eyes taking Fox's breath away. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip and Fox caught it in her mouth and sucked gently at it. Eric hissed in a breath and his lips pulled into a devilish grin. Pushing Fox backwards down onto the bed, he dropped to his knees between her thighs and ran his hands up her legs. Hooking his fingers on the tops of her thighs, Eric pulled Fox closer, pushing her legs apart and lowered his head. He met Fox's eyes, his pupils blown wide then covered her with his mouth, his tongue lapping at her folds. Fox arched off the mattress, crying out.

"Fuck, you taste good," Eric moaned, his tongue delving deeper, becoming more insistent. His teeth nipped at her bud and Fox bit back a scream, biting at her knuckles. Her other hand fisted into Eric's hair and he growled deep in his chest. Eric pushed a finger inside Fox, and at her strangled cry, added a second, thrusting deeply as his tongue swirled. The familiar heat began to build as Eric curled his fingers in that erotic come-hither gesture inside her, rubbing mercilessly at that perfect spot.

"Eric, fuck I'm going to-"

"Come for me baby," Eric moaned. "Fuck," he rasped as Fox thighs began to tremble, and she exploded again, Eric letting her orgasm wash over his face with a worshipful hum. He kneaded her thighs as she helplessly rode the wave of bliss, sucking up every last sensation. Fox's hand pulled painfully at Eric's scalp and he loved every fucking second of it. Eric lifted his head and fixed Fox with a triumphant look as she fell back, panting, on the mattress.

"P-proud of your...self?" Fox gasped.

"Fuck yeah," Eric rumbled, crawling up Fox's body. He dropped his head and kissed her roughly, his mouth still wet and reached down to skim his fingers over the ink on her ribs, smirking as Fox jumped, swallowing her quiet shriek.

Fox leveled Eric with a dangerous glare and pushed hard at his shoulders, pushing him down onto his back beside her. She rolled with him, resting her knees on either side of his hips and straddling him. Fox gripped Eric's biceps, forcing them down on mattress on either side of his head. She ground her hips against his cock, grinning devilishly at the moan it tore from Eric's throat.

"You want this?" Fox whispered.

"You know I do," Eric mumbled, biting his lip. He knew exactly what Fox was doing, what she wanted him to say, and he wanted to prolong this delicious game.

Fox swiveled her hips and a shiver went through Eric; abandoning the game he tried lifting his hips to meet her and Fox pressed him back down, her core so warm and so close, driving him mad; if she just moved that little bit he could slam up inside her, release the groan clawing in his chest.

Fox grinned down at him, knowing exactly what she was doing.

"Don't tease." Eric ground out, trying again only to be rebuffed again. He dropped his head back and growled.

"I learned from the best," Fox replied, a slight waver in her voice belying her restraint. "Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me," Fox purred languidly, enjoying this, sliding hard against him again before pulling just out of reach; pushing his arms back down hard as Eric tried to arc back up. She hooked her feet over his knees and smirked down at him. Fox knew she was pushing it, that if Eric really wanted to take back control not even Fox's strength and skill could stop him. She dared another erotic bump and grind and watched Eric squeeze his eyes shut, his full lips pursing and Fox saw with a thrill that tonight he was going to let her win.

"Please," Eric rasped. Opening his eyes he locked on Fox's kaleidoscopic gaze and moaned, "please, baby." His voice was guttural, his limbs twitching with anticipation.

"Okay," Fox whispered, lining up with Eric's straining erection and sliding down on it in one hard motion.

"Fuck!" Eric ground out, slamming his head back in the pillow as Fox began to roll her hips, still pinning his arms down.

Deciding she'd tortured him long enough, Fox released his arms and instead rested her hands on his chest. Eric's hands immediately dropped down to grip her hips, hard enough to bruise; Eric both loved and hated to be teased that way, and began snapping his hips unmercifully upwards, meeting each rock of Fox's hips. Throwing her head back, Fox cried out as Eric touched her deep inside. Flexing his powerful muscles, Eric held Fox down on him as he thrust, driven half-mad by the game, his blood hot and racing. Reaching over he rubbed hard where their bodies met, at Fox's bundle of nerves, his pulse racing as she mewled, her inner muscles tightening. Rolling suddenly, Eric pressed Fox down into the mattress, pinning her wrists above her head, his thrusts violent and powerful, harder with each snap of his hips. Growling, he dropped his head to her throat and bit hard at her pulse point, marking her for everyone to see. Fox gasped and Eric licked the bruise to minimize the sting.

"You're mine!" Eric growled, punctuating his words with another rough snap of his hips. "You're mine, say it!"

"I'm yours," Fox purred, her mysterious eyes black with desire, loving every fucking second of Eric's rough love; and that was something Eric couldn't get enough of, how she could take him and his moods, hard and fast or slow and gentle, taking what he gave and giving it right back, driving him wild with desire even as she relaxed him like nothing else. Fox arched beneath him, a strangled scream pulled from her throat as Eric's violent thrusts, skilful fingers and rough words pushed her over the edge again.

"Ah fuck!" Eric ground out, his face in Fox's throat as his orgasm washed over him, his cock pulsing, his hips instinctively slamming one last time and holding him against Fox as he spilled inside her. He let his weight settle down on Fox, loving the little purr she gave him as she wrapped her arms tighter around him. After a long moment, he rolled off Fox onto his side and pulled her back against his chest, pressing every inch of her against him. He'd maybe missed this most of all.

Fox sighed in his arms, leaning fully back against him. They were too exhausted to another round and Fox felt her eyelids get heavy, she bit back a yawn.

Eric stroked her hair tenderly, pressed a kiss to her throat. "I love you," he murmured. "Sleep, baby. I'll be here when you wake up."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Okay, trouble in paradise, not everything is sunshine and flowers yet. Eric and Fox say some things to each other they shouldn't. Are things going to collapse from the inside now, after surviving all the external challenges? Please read and review! :0**

Fox woke the next morning pleasantly sore and deliciously cozy. Sometime in the middle of the night Fox had awakened to Eric's lips on her throat and his hand cupping between her legs. They'd made love slowly, almost lazily, the moonlight gleaming off of Eric's powerful back and ass as his muscles had flexed and relaxed with every slow thrust. Fox had come almost gently, so unlike the screaming explosions of earlier that night; and Eric had shuddered into her hair a few thrusts later, his quiet grunts soft and melodious in Fox's ear. He'd lain gently down on top of Fox afterwards, murmuring to her as Fox drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Fox was still a moment; she lay on her side, pulled back tightly against Eric's chest, his arms banded around her. His breath tickled the back of her neck with each slow, regular exhale. Slowly she began to wriggle out of his embrace but before she'd made it out, Eric sighed sharply and pulled Fox roughly back against him.

"No." He grunted, his head buried in the pillow.

"Let me go," Fox replied with a slight grin.

"You're not leaving my side again," Eric mumbled, rubbing his face back and forth into the pillow a moment before stilling again.

"Alright then, come with me to the bathroom." Fox teased.

Eric was still a moment, considering, then relaxed his arms. "Don't go far," he grumbled, turning his head enough to fix Fox with a sour eye.

Fox rolled hers back and climbed out, squealing as Eric managed to slap her ass as she stood.

Fox returned a minute later, and curled back under the covers, instantly Eric pulled her back to him, snuggling close with a heavy sigh.

"Eric, we have to get up. You have to go to work, I'm going to go talk to Max."

"No."

"Eric-"

"I'm taking today off and we're not leaving this bed." Eric replied, his voice still muffled by the pillow.

"You've got this all planned, haven't you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"We going to make breakfast in here too?"

"Going to make something," Eric purred suggestively, his hand beginning to trace the curve of her breast.

"As tempting as that is Coulter, I'm hungry...I'd like to shower and you've missed enough work because of me already," Fox made an attempt to get out of the bed again and was foiled once more by Eric's iron grip; he hooked his legs around hers for added leverage and Fox rolled her eyes. He could be such a man-child sometimes.

Fox elbowed Eric semi-seriously and earned only a grunt and a further tightening of his arms. He nuzzled his head into her hair and growled playfully. "You're mine and you'll leave when I say you can."

This was getting old. "Eric! Let me up!" Fox snapped.

Eric's growl went from playful to warning but he relinquished his hold and rolled over onto his back. He flung an arm behind his head and watched Fox grab some clean clothes before disappearing into the bathroom. Thoughts of cheekily joining her were cut off as he heard the door lock.

* * *

Fox emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a black tank and training pants, towel-drying her hair. She stopped and looked down at Eric, still in bed and holding his arms open for Fox to climb back in with him.

"Get up Eric."

When he didn't answer, only smiled winningly and continued to hold out his arms, Fox sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Instantly Eric scooted closer to pull her down with him but Fox put a hand on his chest, a warning look in her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was low and serious.

"As much as I want to, we can't. You need to go to your office, you can't tell me you're not behind on paperwork. I need to talk to Max and get back too. We're leaders, Eric; we have to look like it. We have responsibilities-"

"Fuck responsibilities!" Eric suddenly roared. "Right now I want to be with you! What is so hard to understand?!"

Fox leaned back in surprise at his outburst, then narrowed her eyes. "Finished?" She asked, her voice dangerous. She and Eric didn't argue as much as other Dauntless couples, but they _were_ still Dauntless. Underneath his cold exterior, Eric was surprisingly passionate; at least where Fox was concerned; and Fox had made it a point back in Amity to never back down; so some of their fights had the tendency to skew sharply into knock down-drag out territory; with one memorable night about two weeks before Fox's abduction where Eric had slammed out of the apartment and not returned until after work the next day.

"No, I'm not! Why do you always fight me on this? I've told you how many fucking times before that leadership doesn't fucking matter to me compared to you! Goddammit woman, you know this!"

Fox stood, pointed a finger sharply at him. "Don't try and pull that shit! Would you extend that leniency to any other? Just skip out of work whenever they feel like staying in bed with their girlfriend?"

"Fiancée!" Eric roared back, sitting up. His face had gone red. "You're my fiancée! We're going to be married!"

"Not if you keep this shit up. Calm the fuck down and act like a man. Go to work."

Eric stared at Fox, a mixture of incredulity and rage in his eyes. Why was she fighting him on this? They'd just gotten back together, he'd be useless at work today anyway, imagining all the ways he was going to have Fox when he got home. Didn't she want that too? Why was she so eager to get him out? And what was this 'not if you keep this shit up' shit?

"What is that supposed to mean?" The tone of Eric's voice would be sending anyone with half a brain running for cover; but not Fox, never his Fox, the woman had no fear.

Fox sighed. "Forget I said it."

"Oh, no. What the fuck did you mean?!"

"Eric, calm down."

"NO! WHAT DID YOU MEAN!"

Fox lifted her head, fixed her attention to a spot slightly above Eric's livid face. "I will not be controlled, Eric. Not by you, not by anybody. I'm sorry that the last few weeks have been hard, I never intended to get abducted by a madman and held prisoner; but I'm not some delicate little bird that needs to be caged. They tried in Amity, to keep me under their control, toe their line, and I refuse to do it here in Dauntless too."

"I'm not trying to control you! I just want to spend the day with you!"

"Eric, I don't want to fight."

"Could of fooled me." He spat.

Fox blew out a breath. "Okay. We both need to calm down. Go to work, or don't, but I'm not staying in here." With that, Fox turned and stormed to the door.

"Where are you going?" Eric demanded, but Fox had already left.

With a frustrated growl, Eric slammed his head back down on the pillows, bashed his fists down into the mattress on either side of him and ground his teeth. _What the fuck? Where in the hell did that come from?_ Eric was trying to protect Fox, not control her. And fuck, she'd made him wait long enough for her sweet ass lately, he deserved a day alone with it, he had plans for it. His heart thumped unpleasantly, Fox didn't throw out random threats, not even when she was angry, not the way Eric did when he was really wound up. Had she meant that? She was seriously rethinking their engagement? What the hell had been going through her head since Tom had imprisoned her? She'd never given any hint to these types of thoughts before.

"No." Eric growled low, almost inaudible. Fox was his, she'd moaned those very words last night as Eric marked her body with his teeth, slammed his cock inside her, made her scream his name as she shattered around him. No, she wasn't leaving, not after all this.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Can Fox and Eric stop standing in their own ways? Have they overcome all the odds just to let their pride pull it all back down? I'm not always a fan of happy endings, you've been warned lol. Thanks for reading and for the reviews. Drop me a line with any suggestions for one-shots you'd like to see, I'm currently percolating one about my favourite Dauntless leader playing 'Dauntless, Candor or Cut' with a certain red-headed initiate from Amity that he's never gotten along with- :0**

Eric stormed into the admin offices. His hair was carefully gelled, and his uniform was immaculate, but inside he was a hot mess. He saw that Max's door was shut, probably Fox in there, and he was of half a mind to throw the door open, storm in and demand that Max send Fox back home, tell her to quit with this bullshit and stop throwing around threats to break off her engagement. That scared Eric, more than anything else, and to compensate, he was fighting mad. Anyone would do, the next sucker that floated in on his radar was going to get their ass kicked.

He stormed into his office and flung himself down in the chair, it spun halfway around with the momentum and Eric decided to stay that way for awhile, his back to the door. A hesitant knock made him growl and call out. "Yes?"

"Hi, Eric...I didn't expect you to be in today." Tris said quietly from the doorway.

Eric spun back to face her and scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Me neither."

Tris hesitated at the door before raising a folder. "I have a follow-up for you."

Eric exhaled and nodded, beckoning Tris in. She sat across from him and looked quietly at Eric for a minute.

"Everything okay?"

"No, what do you have to tell me?"

Tris sighed and opened up the folder. "I've completed the report for Abnegation regarding suggested initiation procedural changes. Andrew is scheduled to come to Dauntless the day after tomorrow to review it. I'm halfway through Fox's notes for Amity and I've began writing up that report-"

"Well, Fox is in there with Max right now talking about coming back to work, so check with her, she might want it back."

Tris nodded, understanding flooding her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again.

"Just say it, stiff." Eric grumbled, his lips curled in a half-smile to offset the insult.

"That's why you're here...and upset. You wanted to spend more time at home with Fox before coming back to work."

Eric exhaled, it all sounded so simple that way. "Yeah, is that so bad?"

"Fox didn't feel the same?"

"Fox didn't want to, said we have to act like leaders and fulfill our responsibilities."

Tris nodded thoughtfully but didn't immediately reply. "Truthfully I thought she'd take more time off too, but...she must really want everything to get back to normal. Things have been turned upside down for so long."

"Exactly!" Eric found himself barking. "So why couldn't we have taken another few days to enjoy this, instead of jumping right back into the daily shit?"

Tris raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips in thought. The Eric she'd known during initiation would never have unloaded like this to anyone, let alone 'the stiff', and now here he was. The dynamic of their relationship had shifted in the last few months, Tris was now a close friend; a confidante.

Eric exhaled hard and waved his hand at Tris. "Forget I said anything, I shouldn't be talking about this, it's between me and Fox."

Tris knew quite well the potential for Eric and Fox's fights to accelerate, she and Four had hosted both parties on their couch in the past when they'd needed a place to crash. "Just talk to her, Eric. I doubt she's doing this to upset you."

Eric chewed his cheek before nodding once and leaning back in his chair. Pushing off, he spun away from Tris and she shook her head before standing and leaving.

* * *

"I mean, what the fuck?" Eric growled, tossing back another. Fox had gone to her office and not spoken to him all day. She'd left before him and Eric had given her a few minutes head start, but Fox hadn't been there when Eric got home and he'd snarled in frustration, yanked off his uniform jacket and stormed down to the Pit. Spotting Zeke, Four and a few other friends at a table, he'd collapsed beside them and began complaining between throwing back shots.

Zeke and Four exchanged a look before Zeke said. "So she said that...exactly that?"

"Yeah," Eric barked belligerently, _did I fucking stutter?_ "She said 'not if you keep this shit up'! As in, if I kept pushing her to stay home, she'd break up with me!"

Four shook his head and leaned closer. "No man, it sounded more like-"

"I know what she said Four!"

Zeke put his hand on Eric's arm and he fought the impulse to shake it off. The shots weren't relaxing him like he wanted, if anything, they were fanning the fire in his heart.

"She said that she doesn't want to be controlled...Eric I see her point-"

"Be fucking careful there, Zeke." Eric growled dangerously.

"She's a grown woman who's gone through a lot of shit, she wants a partner, not a dictator-"

"I'm not trying to be! I just wanted to spend more time with her!"

Four made a shushing motion. "Turn it down a bit, Eric."

Eric sent him a baleful look before returning his attention to Zeke. He was suddenly tired of justifying himself. "You know what? Go fuck yourselves!" Standing, he shot them both a death glare before slamming one last shot and storming away.

* * *

Fox sighed and glanced over at Tris. "Thanks, hon. Listening to Eric grumble in his office all day, I don't want to deal with his hurt feelings tonight."

Tris nodded. She'd invited Fox over after lunch, offered the spare bed. Eric was still far too volatile for a reasonable conversation, and Fox was not known for her restraint, so she probably would've ended up her tonight anyway.

Treading carefully, Tris asked. "Why is it such a sore point for you? Eric just wanted to stay home?"

Fox sighed, picking at a cuticle. "It was the way he said it, like his word was law, my opinion didn't matter."

"You made it sound like he was teasing you-"

"At first, then I got tired of it and snapped at him. It's different now...he got mad then...and so did I...and now here we are again."

"Why do you two fight like this? Do you like it? I can't imagine fighting with Four like that."

"Well, being former Abnegation probably doesn't hurt...I don't know...my blood gets up and that's it...and the make-up sex is incredible-"

Tris groaned and stuck her fingers in her ears. When she pulled them back out, after Fox had stopped talking and started laughing, she said, "what do you mean by 'it's different now'?"

Fox shrugged. "Just that...it's different now. Eric's teasing seemed different than before."

"Before what, before you were abducted?"

"Well, yeah."

Tris barked a rueful laugh. "Fox! You can't blame the poor guy, he's almost lost you how many times now? He's scared."

"He's bossy."

"He's trying to protect you!"

"I don't need protecting!" Fox threw up her hands in frustration and Tris leaned forwards to grab her wrists.

"Fox! Of course you don't, but he's a man, protecting their women is like their thing! Of course Eric's trying to protect you, it's like a guys DNA code-"

"What's a guys DNA code?" Four asked from the doorway, amused. "Hey Fox, spending the night?" He strolled in and flopped on the couch between the two girls, slung his arms over the back of the couch.

"It's like in a guy's DNA code to protect their women." Tris repeated, then, studying Four for a second, said. "Are you drunk, Four?"

"Just a little." Four replied easily, then chuckled. "Boy Fox, you really did a number on him tonight."

"Me?!"

"Yeah, he came down to the Pit, sat with Zeke and I and started pounding shots...we tried to keep up with him, but you know Eric."

"And what did poor Eric have to say?"

"Oh the usual, you threatened to break off your engagement if he didn't stop trying to make you stay home."

"Fox! You didn't!" Tris cried.

"I didn't threaten to break it off, I just said 'not if you keep this shit up' when he got mad that I didn't say fiancée."

Tris shook her head and locked eyes with Four a moment before he rolled his head towards Fox and leaned closer to her. "He told Zeke and I to 'go fuck ourselves' and then left."

"I'm sorry Four."

Four chuckled, shaking his head. "He's got it bad, Fox. I'm not sure you fully appreciate that. He's all in a stew right now. You should go easy on him."

"He started it!" Fox snapped.

"He just wants to spend time with you, he's not trying to control you...he respects you more than that." Four lifted his dark eyes to Fox and the expression in them stopped her angry retort. She hung her head and Tris leaned over and patted her hand.

"Did he go home?" Tris asked.

Four nodded, "Yeah, I followed him to make sure he did, then came home myself. He's probably just going to stomp around for awhile and then sleep it off."

Fox sighed heavily and Tris said quietly. "Stay over tonight, go see him in the morning."

Four snorted. "Yeah, with the hangover he's going to have, he'll be too sick to do anything but lay there and listen."

Fox groaned and Four dropped his arm over Fox's shoulder, pulled her to his chest. "Don't worry about it tonight, get some sleep, deal with it in the morning. And remember, this is Eric. You know he shoots first and asks questions later when its about you, once he's cooled down, it'll be different."

"What do you mean 'when its about you'?"

Four scoffed. "Before you showed up, Eric was cold as ice, never did anything without planning it out, was always thinking, five steps ahead of everyone else. You show up and steal his heart and he's totally different. He's like an attack dog protecting you, bite first, think later."

Now it was Fox's turn to scoff and Four caught her chin, his voice gone deadly serious. "I mean it, Fox. You didn't see Eric when you were missing, but you did see what he was like when you were working through your fear simulations. That's not the Eric I went through initiation with...Jeez, did Amity screw you up that bad, that you think no one could love you that much?"

Fox flushed and looked away. "I just don't want anyone to control me anymore."

"He's not! He won't, he just...can't live without you. Don't mistake love for oppression. Sometimes it's the only way we guys know to deal with something, pick up the little lady and carry her to safety." He grinned widely at Fox and she pushed his face away.

"Okay, okay...I'll go see him tomorrow...thanks you guys."

Four pressed a hard kiss to the top of Fox's head. "Just have to make you see reason, you both are so frickin' stubborn, you're made for each other." He stood then and held his hand out to Tris.

"You going to carry me to safety too?" She teased.

"No, to bed, you're not safe there." Four teased back.

"Ahh, gross!" Fox and Tris cried, throwing pillows at Four who dodged them with a laugh. Still giggling, Tris stood then leaned down and planted a quick kiss on Fox's head.

"Go to sleep, hon. It'll be better in the morning."

* * *

It wasn't. Fox got up the next morning and, after showering and dressing in a fresh suit, walked over to their apartment. Opening the door quietly, she called out Eric's name softly, then tutted in disapproval. Either Eric hadn't been able to walk without crashing into stuff, or he'd deliberately gone on a rampage; the apartment was a mess. Fox shook her head, she'd deal with that later. She tiptoed to the bedroom and stuck her head in the door. Eric wasn't there, but he'd spent a good portion of the night tossing and turning in the bed, knotting the sheets up and scattering pillows like a war zone. Fox found him instead in the bathroom, unconscious; he'd obviously passed out praying to the hangover gods for mercy and Fox took a moment to study him.

His hair was loose, free from it's typical gel and hung curled over his forehead, he was twisted in such a position that he was going to be sore when he woke up, and cold; wearing only a pair of boxers, his awesome muscle definition in full view. There was a scrape on his left bicep, probably from his drunken furniture reorganization last night, but is was his face that pulled Fox in. His features were twisted, pulled into a grimace; as if he'd passed out with a really horrible thought front and center in his mind.

"Eric?" Fox said quietly. No response. Fox tried again, louder. "Eric?"

Eric grumbled, reaching one hand lazily up to swat at the offense, as if a bug was humming by his ear and rolled onto his side; beneath his head, Fox recognized a piece of clothing; her favourite shirt. Had Eric been using it as a rag to wipe his mouth? Fox glanced at her watch, she needed to get going; today was her first day back after speaking with Max yesterday, and she suddenly didn't have the energy to deal with the mess in front of her. Sighing, she tried once more, reaching out with a toe to nudge Eric's foot while she whispered his name again.

"Mm...fuck off." Eric grunted, rolling further away, kicking out weakly with the same foot Fox had just nudged.

Anger flared in Fox, _fuck off_?, oh no. Fox drew breath to really let Eric have it...then stopped. _Pick your battles, LaRue. Do you really want to face off with an Eric that_ _'_ _s both mad and hung-over? No, go to work._ Fox straightened and left, clicking in her heeled stilettos straight to the admin offices. Tris had left a muffin and coffee on her desk and Fox messaged her thanks.

 _Did you guys talk?_

 _No, he_ _'_ _s passed out in the bathroom, I tried to wake him then left._

 _Tonight then, no more excuses._

 _Yes, Mother._

 _Someone has to be. xoxoxo_

Fox rolled her eyes.

Eric didn't make an appearance the whole day. Max poked his head in mid-morning to see how Fox was faring on her first day back, and his eyes flicked to Eric's darkened office, but he didn't comment.

"Getting back into things okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'd be lost without Tris though."

"Give yourself a few days...Eric off today?"

"I think he has the whiskey flu."

Max raised his eyebrows, and Fox heard him say as he walked away. "Yeah, it's going around."

Fox met Tris and Four in the mess hall for supper that night, but had little appetite. Scooping food into a go-box, and swiping two large pieces of Dauntless cake, Fox pecked Four on the cheek and stood.

"I'm going to go talk to the big baby, I guess."

"Be nice," Four reminded her, grinning. Tris returned from the other table she'd been talking to and plunked down at Four's side.

"Be nice," she parroted, smiling up at Fox, who rolled her eyes in response.

Fox leaned down and pecked Tris on the lips. "See ya, hon. Can't guarantee I won't be needing the couch again."

"You won't," Tris replied, eyes dancing.

* * *

Fox sighed and reached out, entering the door code and biting her lip as it chimed and went green. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and entered the apartment. Her eyes glanced around it quickly; Eric had been busy, cleaning up all the messes of last night, he'd even opened the windows to air the place out. Fox scanned for him, the only light was coming from the TV and Fox was used to the bright hallway lighting. She stopped when her eyes found him.

Eric was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table. The TV was turned low, barely audible. Eric wore only sweatpants and as Fox stared at him, he lifted a bottle from a small table at his side and took a drink of the amber liquid. His gaze was inscrutable, too many emotions running through it to define. Fox saw anger, relief, belligerence but before one dominant emotion could surface Eric rose to his feet, and, his face expressionless, eyes blazing, closed the distance between them in four large strides.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: What's going to happen? 0_0 Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

Eric stopped in front of Fox, his nose just inches from hers. His eyes moved rapidly back and forth between hers, a thousand emotions flowing through them. Eric threw it all into his eyes, telling Fox everything he couldn't say and she wouldn't have listened to anyway. Fox's heart began to race as she read the thoughts flashing through his stormy grey eyes. _I'm sorry. I'd never try to control you. You drive me so fucking crazy and I love you for it. I just want to be with you, baby. I just want you. I need you._

Fox felt a deep ache of shame, why was she always playing with Eric's emotions? Was it like Four had said? Amity had screwed her up so badly she couldn't believe that anyone would be capable of loving her the way Eric did? She needed to stop this shit, now. She needed to accept what was right in front of her; irrevocably and without reserve. She'd never fully truly trusted her entire heart and soul to Eric before; no matter what she'd told herself, not the way he had, and she'd allowed doubts to gnaw at her, unfounded doubts that stemmed from her own fears and emotional baggage.

Fox closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them again, she looked back up at Eric. Despite the tenderness and love and openness he'd let show in his eyes, he was still mad; furious even, with Fox. Rage radiated off him like body heat and the air around him fairly crackled with energy. Even though he was boiling with anger, Fox could tell he wanted to fuck her too; wanted no holds barred make-up sex. His fists were clenched at his sides, and as he saw the realization dawning in Fox's eyes, his chest began to heave. _He's letting me decide, he's giving me the control; to accept this or not, he's not forcing it on me._ _Fuck I want this, I want him. forever._

This was going to be rough, Eric had a lot of emotion to get out, and they were wild in bed together at the best of times. Fox both wanted to and knew she _needed_ to fight, to play hard to get; Eric loved the chase as much as the reward, and he needed to _win_ tonight. The slight growl he gave with each exhale told her as much. He would accept nothing less than Fox's full surrender after a wild knock down-drag out fight for dominance; and Fox was ready to play, holding his gaze, she yanked off her jacket and unbuttoned her shirt. Eric's growl intensified. Licking her lips, she pulled the shirt off and dropped it to her side. Eric's hands flexed, his eyes ablaze as Fox saucily unsnapped her bra. Slowly she began to lower it, exposing more and more of her breasts before dropping it with her shirt. Eric inhaled sharply and Fox made her move.

Fox slammed her hands against Eric's chest and pushed with all her strength, throwing Eric back a few paces. His eyes opened wide in shock before darkening with lust as he realized what she'd just done, that she was ready to tussle. With a growl, he launched himself at her, his hand snaking up to grip her throat, tight enough to excite, not enough to choke her. Fox snarled back, thrashing, her fists connecting with Eric's shoulders and torso and he rumbled low in his chest, his free hand catching both of hers and slamming them to the door above her. His lips crashed against hers with bruising force and he leaned full into Fox, his erection hard on her thigh, his masculine spice enveloping her. She struggled, throwing everything into it, because Eric could both handle it and _wanted_ it. Eric's tongue pierced through her lips, stabbing into her mouth and sliding along her tongue, drawing out a moan. Fox launched herself back at Eric, throwing him off balance enough to slide past him and dash towards the couch. Eric caught her just as she reached it, wrapped his arms around her waist and threw her down onto it. He dropped hard down onto Fox, pinning her with his body, one hand cupping her cheek and the other snaking down between her legs. He growled low in her ear and Fox's excitement began to build. _It's on now._

Fox drew up her knee, pushing hard against Eric with her foot. He staggered backwards, eyes blazing with lust and Fox leapt to her feet. Eric's hands raised to grab her and he moved towards her, she locked onto his wrists, snapping sideways and using his momentum to throw him instead onto the couch. Before he could react further, she yanked down his sweats and freed his straining cock, locking her mouth around it. Eric groaned and arched back against the couch, his hand fisting painfully into Fox's hair. Relaxing her throat, Fox swallowed him all the way, her blood racing as he rumbled low in his chest. She looked up to meet his eyes, but Eric's were closed, his face twisted in sweet pain. Fox licked up his length, her hand squeezing as it followed her tongue up and Eric swore, yanking slightly on Fox's hair. She swirled her tongue on his head as she lightly twisted her fist.

"Fuck, baby." Eric groaned, a beautiful grimace twisting his features.

Fox deep-throated him again and Eric jerked beneath her; he was close, the muscles in his thighs beginning to quiver.

With a wicked grin Fox pulled her mouth off of Eric's cock with a pop and scrambled away, laughing out loud at Eric's shocked expression. Shock morphed to determined lust and he leapt off the couch to chase her again. Fox stumbled and threw herself to the side to keep from falling, ducking into the kitchen, Eric at her heels. She whirled to face him, ready to fight her way past. Eric paused, a savage grin on his face; the look in his eyes promising that she would pay for that stunt on the couch. Fox feinted to her right, then dodged to her left, managing to slide past Eric, his hands grabbing but not able to catch her. He whirled instantly and managed to snag Fox's wrist, yanking her back against him. He slammed her against the wall, his mouth crashing to hers, then he threw Fox to the floor, tearing at her skirt, yanking it down her thighs and throwing it away. Fox struggled, but Eric was everywhere, effectively pinning her down. He dropped his head to the apex of her thighs and plunged his tongue into her folds, lapping at her. Fox arched back with a cry as Eric relentlessly attacked her, his tongue and teeth merciless; he even managed to bring one hand down to push two fingers inside her, stroking roughly. Fox felt the heat building in her core, her limbs beginning to tingle.

"Oh god Eric," she moaned, her muscles tensing, she was so close, just a little more...

Suddenly, the heat from Eric's mouth was gone and he pulled away, mouth wet, with a wicked grin. _Payback's a bitch_ , his eyes danced.

Equal parts lust-crazed and furious that Eric had pulled the same trick as her, Fox scrambled to her feet, but Eric was already out of the kitchen, whirling to face her in the larger space of the main room. He caught her as Fox launched herself at him, and instead of continuing their fight, he wrapped his arms around Fox and spun them in a circle with a booming laugh of pure unrestrained joy. _I guess we've made up_ , Fox thought with a giggle.

"Fuck baby. I love you." He laughed, burying his face in her throat, nipping playfully before dropping them down onto the couch again. Fox rolled, standing back up to yank Eric's sweats down before straddling his lap. Capturing his mouth, Fox cupped his cheek with one hand and began to stroke his cock with the other, swallowing his guttural groan. Knocking her hand away from his dick, Eric gripped it, positioning it at her entrance, his other hand dropping to her hip.

"No more teasing baby. I need you fucking now." He pushed down hard with his hand as Fox willingly lowered herself onto his cock, burying his full length in her and making them both cry out. Eric wrapped both his arms around Fox's lower back, curling towards her, his forehead to her shoulder as he thrust upwards, meeting Fox with each roll of her hips.

"Fuck," Eric gasped again, raising his head to Fox's throat and biting at her pulse point; and Fox, already so close, shattered, screaming Eric's name, stars exploding in her eyes.

Growling, Eric followed, Fox's spasms around him pushing him over the edge and he came hard, hips snapping up, spilling inside Fox with a primal roar. Panting, Eric collapsed back against the couch, pulling Fox to his chest, their bodies sweat-slicked, hearts racing.

Eric smoothed Fox's hair back from her forehead and pressed a kiss there before dropping his arms in exhaustion, muscles limp as he lay back, breathing hard. Fox snuggled up against him, nuzzling up under his chin.

"I'm sorry," Fox murmured, brushing her lips against the soft skin under Eric's ear, shivering as he shuddered, bringing his arms up again to pull her tighter against him.

"I love you baby," he murmured back. "The good and the bad."

Fox's eyes grew heavy and she began to drowse, barely noticing when Eric stood, carrying her to bed and laying her gently down, curling up behind her and pulling Fox close, nuzzling his head into her hair, inhaling her scent deep and murmuring again.

"Forever, baby."

* * *

Eric woke the next morning to Fox's mouth on his cock, her tongue swirling over his head before swallowing him deep. Eric's senses became alive with a jolt and he didn't last long with this early-morning gift, spurting sweetly into Fox's mouth, his hands fisted in the sheets.

Fox crawled back up with a satisfied smirk and curled up against him, resting her head on his chest. Still breathing hard, Eric wrapped his arm around her back and began to stroke her spine.

"That was awesome baby," Eric murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Your turn tomorrow morning." Fox replied, lightly flicking the barbell through his nipple and giggling as he jumped slightly. His hand dropped from her back to slap her ass.

"We going in to work today?" Eric asked lightly, resuming his stroking.

Fox looked pleadingly at him. "I need to get back into that routine, I need the normalcy." Fox whispered.

Eric nodded, his lips touching her forehead. "It's okay, I understand that. I want you happy here with me."

"I am," Fox breathed, then a wicked smile curved her lips. "I'll spoil you tonight."

"Like this morning?"

"Better."

Eric grinned widely. "After you, babe."

* * *

Fox found it easier to settle back into her work than she thought it would be; making up with Eric definitely helped and Fox was even able to take back her Amity initiation folder from Tris to work on. Tris smirked at the marks on Fox's neck as she entered her office and Fox went red at Tris' thumbs up.

She should have known better.

Mid-afternoon, her phone rang and Fox pressed the receiver to her ear distractedly.

"Fox."

"Fox, it's Max. Can you come into my office? I've received an interesting call from Amity."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Please read and review, I don't know if you guys are liking the story anymore! :0**

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'd rather talk face to face though."

"On my way." _What the fuck did Amity want now?_ Frowning, Fox organized the folders on her desk then stood and left, taking a deep breath before she knocked on Max's door.

"Come in Fox." Max called.

Fox opened the door and stepped in. She was both curious and worried to see Eric there already, seated in one of the chairs across from Max, waiting for her.

Max gestured to the empty chair and Fox sat. She glanced at Eric and bit her lip at the gentle smile he gave her.

Max sighed. "Johanna called me a few minutes ago."

Fox frowned, "I just spoke with her two hours ago, she had no concerns then."

Max pressed his lips in a firm line, then continued. "This is something else...do you recognize the name Marshall Greenspan?" His eyes were sympathetic.

Fox's stomach dropped, dimly she felt Eric take her hand. She cleared her throat. "Yes. Anyone else?"

Max nodded slowly. "Lester Miller and Samuel Decker."

"What about Arthur Spetz?"

"No, not him. Johanna says he was killed last year in a field accident."

Fox straightened her spine. "They're the boys who attacked me in the orchard when I was eleven. Plus Tom."

Max nodded. "They approached Johanna today...they wish to speak with you."

"What the fuck for?" Fox spat. Blushing, she lowered her head. "Sorry, sir." Eric squeezed her hand.

Max waved his hand. "They claim they are remorseful and want to apologize face to face."

"Why now? It's been eight years." Fox could not keep the bitterness from her voice, her teeth gnawed relentlessly at her lip.

"News of Tom's demise reached his family in Amity, thanks to Erudite, and you know how stories spread through the hippies. Apparently they're all family men now and the thought of that happening to one of their children is too distressing."

Fox scoffed, tasting blood.

"I made absolutely no promises, you are free to decide. They are leaving it up to you where and when, if at all."

Eric's thumb stroked gentle circles on the back of Fox's hand and she glanced at him. He was watching her, his eyes flooded with concern and she gave him a gentle nod. _I'm okay._

Fox took a deep breath and was still for a long moment, finally she raised her head. "I agree to meet them here, at Dauntless. Tomorrow at 2 pm. They will come alone, but I will have Eric with me. There is no guarantee that I will either accept their apology or forgive them. They will agree to all these terms or we don't meet at all."

Max nodded. "Frankly, that's more than fair, in my opinion. I will relay this to Johanna and let you know if they accept."

Fox swallowed and nodded.

Max smiled gently. "Take the rest of the day off, Fox. I don't expect you in tomorrow either. Come talk to me after this meeting and we'll discuss it further. Eric, if you want to stay with her today and tomorrow, go ahead; as long as you don't have anything pressing to do."

Eric exhaled. "I have a few things to get out of the way, it won't take long." He turned to Fox. "You want to go home, baby? I'll be there as soon as I can."

Fox nodded, then stood. Eric stood with her but she gently pulled her hand free. "I'm okay, Eric." She murmured. Turning, she left, her posture stiff. The men watched her leave, then Eric sat back down with a sigh.

"Make sure those fucks respect her." Max growled.

Eric nodded. "I'll fucking kill them if they don't."

Fox returned to her office and stood numbly, shuffling the folders on her desk distractedly. Her resolve crumbled when Eric's muscular arms wrapped around her from behind, and she felt his breath warm on her throat. He loosened his embrace enough for Fox to turn and bury her face in the crook of his neck and just held her as she shuddered.

"Why now?" She murmured.

"I can't answer that. But I'll be with you the whole time." Eric whispered back.

"Thank you." Fox breathed, her body relaxing slightly.

"Fox?"

Eric lifted his head. Tris stood in the doorway, her face creased in concern. She took a step into the office. "Fox, what's wrong?"

Fox lifted her head and glanced quickly at Eric; turning again in his arms, she leaned back against his chest and answered. "The men who attacked me as a child are coming here tomorrow to apologize to me."

Tris staggered like she'd been hit. "They're coming here? The nerve."

"I decided that...Eric will be with me."

Tris met Eric's eyes, _you make sure they don't hurt her again._

 _I will. They will show the proper fucking respect._

Tris bit her lip. "Can I do anything?"

Eric spoke up. "I have to stay here and take care of a few things, can you take Fox home, stay with her until I get there?"

"Of course," Tris moved instantly to Fox and pulled her gently away from Eric, resting her arm over Fox's shoulders.

"C'mon, hon." She murmured, leading Fox out.

Eric watched them go, offered a smile when Fox glanced back at him. As they disappeared out the doorway, Eric let his face twist into a grimace of rage. _Those fucks. I'll kill them if they upset her._

Tris pushed the apartment door open and stood back for Fox to enter first. Shutting the door behind her she took a deep breath. "Do you want to go lay down? Are you hungry?"

Fox whirled. "Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Let me change, then we're going to see Bud and Tori."

"Tattoos?"

Fox nodded. "Tris, you're the closest I've ever had to a sister, I want us to get a matching tattoo."

Tris took a breath. "Really?"

"Yeah."

A huge grin split her face. "You too, you _are_ my sister...hurry, let's go!"

* * *

The door crashed open an hour later, Fox and Tris spilling through.

"Let me see again." Fox grinned. Tris pulled the collar of her shirt obligingly, exposing her chest. An intricate Celtic knot lay fresh on her skin. "Now you!"

Fox pulled at the hem of her sweats, exposing an identical knot on her hipbone, low enough to be almost completely covered by all but the most risqué of underwear. Reaching out and taking Tris' hand, Fox pulled her to the couch and they collapsed at either end. Fox fell silent as the events of earlier caught up to her again. Tris nudged her with her foot.

"You okay?"

"I will be...just want it over with."

"You're brave just agreeing to meet, I don't know if I could."

Fox shook her head. "I want all this shit to just go away after, let them say their piece, I can tell them to go fuck themselves and it'll be over."

Tris nodded sympathetically. They turned to look at the sound of the keypad. Fox sent a covert glance at Tris, they'd agreed to keep their matching ink secret until Four and Eric discovered it themselves. The door opened and Eric walked in, his face cracking into a relieved smile at Fox relaxed on the couch. Tris leapt to her feet, leaned down and pecked Fox's lips.

"I'll leave you two alone." She shot Fox another grin and walked to the door. Eric caught her around the waist gently and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Thanks, stiff."

"Anytime, Coulter," Tris shot back with a grin, pulling the door closed behind her.

Eric kicked off his boots and pulled off his jacket as he wandered to the couch. He lifted Fox's legs and sat down, pulling Fox's feet into his lap. He began to massage the arches and Fox tilted her head back with a moan. Eric was an excellent masseuse, his hands both strong and gentle.

"Doing okay?" He asked quietly, concentrating on her feet; he pulled at her pinkie toe and grinned as Fox squeaked, trying to jerk her foot away. He moved his hand up her ankle and began massaging her calf.

"Keep that up and you might get lucky tonight, Coulter."

Eric snorted. "You already promised to spoil me tonight."

"Did I?"

"Mm-hmm," his hand moved higher, began to stroke the inside of her thigh. Eric searched Fox's eyes and murmured. "It's okay to not be okay right now."

Now it was Fox's turn to snort. She tried to pull her leg away but Eric held firm, his fingers resumed their massage.

"I'll listen to them, then tell them to go fuck themselves." Fox replied.

"Will that help?"

"Does it matter."

"Yes, I want you to be free of this."

"Well, alakazam, wave your magic wand Eric and make it so!" Fox snapped, then flushed darkly. "Shit, that was rude, sorry babe."

Eric shook his head. "You get that one free."

Fox sighed, scrubbing her hands over her face. "Part of me is thinking 'the fucking nerve, wanting to talk to me' and another part wants to listen..."

Eric said nothing, continued his ministrations, he knew Fox well enough to know she wasn't expecting a response right now.

Fox sighed then twitched her foot to get Eric's attention. He looked up at her. "Want to go ride the trains for awhile?"

Eric grinned, they hadn't done that for awhile, it usually led to irresponsible teenage style making out. He stuck out his tongue at her playfully. "Yeah, babe. Let's go."

Fox pulled free and leapt to her feet. Eric stood with her and pulled her into a bear hug. "Grab a jacket," he murmured. "Let's watch the sunset from the Navy Pier."

 **Some sweet Eric and Fox fluff to lessen the agony later...**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Fox prepares to meet her attackers. Thank you so much for all the support!**

Bright morning sunlight shone through the windows into Eric's eye and he groaned, burying his head further into Fox's hair. She mumbled and snuggled closer to him, her lips brushing his collarbone and Eric shivered. Wincing as he did so, Eric carefully opened his eyes, focusing on Fox held tightly against him. With a smile, he remembered last night.

They'd hopped the train on the Dauntless roof and looped the city once, too lost in each other to jump out as the train passed the Navy Pier the first time. Eric just had time on the next loop to look up from Fox's swollen lips, his fingers digging into her hips as she straddled him, sitting against the train wall, to see they were at their destination and point with his chin.

"We're here."

"We're in the middle of something," Fox purred, grinding down on Eric's terminal erection; Christ, he was always hard around Fox, it was like a syndrome.

"We can continue it in the tower," Eric reminded her, missing her weight and body heat as Fox leapt up suddenly with a insouciant grin. She squirmed out of Eric's arms as he grabbed her from behind and shot him a devilish smile as she leapt gracefully out of the train.

Eric barked a laugh at his beautifully impetuous soul mate and followed, rolling easily to absorb the impact. Fox turned and slammed into him and he tensed a moment before relaxing, allowing them to tumble backwards as the rest of the train passed. Fox sat up, straddling his hips and shimmied her ass, biting her lip at her naughtiness. Eric gripped her thighs hard enough to mark and pushed sharply back. Off-balance, Fox fell forwards with a shriek and Eric chuckled at her expression. Wrapping his arms around her, he squeezed tightly and peppered her face with kisses. Fox continued to shriek and struggle, giggling. She started to tickle him and Eric started laughing too, trying to squirm out of her reach. He rolled, pinning Fox underneath him, grabbing her wrists and pressing them to the ground on either side of her head.

"You give?" He demanded.

"Never!" Fox shot back, her eyes flashing with excitement and good humour. Wrapping her legs around Eric's waist, Fox twisted sharply, snapping Eric back down onto the ground and rolling back on top of him. Now Fox pinned his wrists to the ground beside his head and leaned down into his face.

Eric mock growled and Fox air-kissed at him. Eric's laughter echoed through the Pier.

"Fuck, baby. I love you." He grinned, leaning up to snag her mouth for a kiss.

"Forever?" Fox teased.

"And ever." Eric promised.

They'd lain together in the tower, making love slowly as the sun set, painting their bodies with breathtaking oranges and reds and yellows, the sounds and strains of their love drifting gently down through the park.

* * *

Fox inhaled sharply, stretching against Eric as she woke and he stroked his hands up and down her sides, earning a purr as Fox relaxed back against him. Suddenly, Fox tensed in his arms and Eric realized that she had remembered what was going to happen today. He tilted his head to look down at her, she was tracing absent patterns on his chest, her fingers feather-light.

"You'll get through this. I'll be right beside you." He murmured, pressing his lips to her hair.

Fox chewed her bottom lip and met his gaze. Eric was about to suggest a continuation of their tower activities when Fox spoke.

"Can we go to the gym? I feel like beating the piss out of something."

Curling his lip in a half-grin, Eric leaned down and kissed her. "Let's go."

They missed breakfast and instead caught an early lunch after the gym. Uriah and Will had been there, the perfect sparring partners and Fox was able to work out some of her nervousness by pounding Will's head into the mat until he managed to break her hold and return the favour, stopping only when Fox blew a loud raspberry at him and broke his concentration, making him laugh. Eric snorted and looked away with a grin, shaking his head and Uriah laughed until he choked, coughing as Eric beat him on the back.

Max detained Eric for a few minutes in the cafeteria and Fox had already showered and was flopped on the couch in a tank and black lace panties when Eric returned. Eric wandered out of the bathroom a few minutes later, wearing basketball shorts and towel-drying his hair, to flop on the opposite side, plunking his feet beside Fox's on the table. He nudged her foot with his, favouring her with a silly grin when she looked up from her thoughts. Distractedly, Fox looked back down at the book she was holding. Eric frowned and leaned over, stroking his hand lightly up her shin to her knee, where he rested his hand. Fox lifted her head, and Eric's heart squeezed at the faint shimmer of tears in her beautiful eyes. Her eyes lowered to his lap, then quickly flicked up to his face, her cheeks colouring in embarrassment at being caught, before returning to her book.

Eric tilted his head at her a moment. She wanted a distraction, her eyes had given her away; but for whatever reason was afraid to ask for it. He couldn't take away the pain of what was to come, but he could give her this.

"Come here baby," he murmured, reaching out and gently touching Fox's hand. She looked up in guilty surprise and bit her lip. Eric pulled her gently but firmly to stand in front of him.

"Eric?" She whispered as Eric reached up and pulled down her underwear. Her breath hitched as Eric lifted his hips and pushed his shorts down, pulling his hardening cock out and stroking it a few times.

"I'm yours," he murmured. "If you want me."

Fox began breathing harder as she looked between Eric's eyes and his straining cock. Slowly she shimmied her underwear down to her feet and kicked them off. Eric held his breath as she pulled her shirt off and stepped between his thighs. He leaned back against the couch, widening his legs, his heart beginning to race as Fox turned slowly to give him her back and looking shyly over her shoulder at him. Eric held his cock steady for her, his breathing turning to pants as Fox slowly lowered herself to sit in his lap; gritted his teeth and curled his lip is sweet pain as she slid down onto his length to the hilt, taking all of him. Fox arched her back, began to rock her hips and Eric looked down at where they met, at her sweet rounded ass, watching his cock appear and disappear inside her. Groaning, he ran his hands over her hips and up her taut stomach, cupping her breasts and Fox leaned back against him, panting his name in his ear. She licked at his throat and moaned as Eric thrust up into her again and again.

"Fuck, you're so fucking hot baby," Eric groaned, biting at her pulse point, licking to minimize the sting.

"Eric, I -" Fox shattered, crying out, arching back against his chest.

Eric tightened his arms around Fox, held her down against him as he thrust upwards once more before spilling himself inside her with a groan. As his pulsing faded, Eric collapsed against Fox, holding her to his chest and she ran her hand up his arm to cup the back of his head, turning her head to capture his lips. Fox flicked her tongue piercing against his lips and Eric's cock twitched inside her. He groaned against her mouth and Fox pulled away with a breathy sigh. She opened her eyes, her gaze sated and heavy. Standing slowly, Fox turned and pushed Eric gently down onto his back, then stretched out luxuriously on top of him. She rested her head on his chest and stroked her fingers tenderly over his nipple piercing, smiling against his skin as his muscles twitched.

Pressing her lips to his velvet skin, Fox murmured quietly, "thank you."

* * *

Fox stood ramrod straight, immaculate in her Dauntless dress uniform, as the clock turned 2 pm. Eric stood just behind her and to the left, close enough to reach out covertly and touch her hand. They were standing in the secondary Dauntless boardroom; a grand and noble place specifically designed to intimidate and awe visiting faction members. Fox had chosen this room carefully, the message was clear; I am Dauntless, I and my faction are out of your league, but you are still not important enough to be received in the main boardroom. Eric had seen the nervousness and anxiety in Fox's eyes as they'd left their apartment to walk here, but as they entered the boardroom, and Fox stood behind the main table, she glanced back over her shoulder at him and Eric had seen nothing but Dauntless, calm and cold.

The door opened and Fox's attackers stepped through.


	19. Chapter 19

Two Dauntless guards escorted the three Amity men. They were dressed in clean but plain clothes and as Fox watched them walk nervously into the room, clustered together like sheep, she saw that they weren't like she remembered. They seemed smaller, diminished somehow and Fox mused internally that the boardroom was working to intimidate them; or maybe it was Eric, standing behind her, a mountain of a man no doubt glaring daggers at them, radiating hostility and barely leashed rage like body heat; probably it was both. Fox felt Eric's hand brush hers and she realized she was standing rigidly, hardly breathing. She exhaled forcefully and brushed Eric's fingers back.

The three men stopped when they reached the table and stood uncertainly, shooting furtive glances at Fox.

Fox took a deep breath. "Sit." She instructed, her voice was strong and clear.

Fox nodded to the two guards to leave as the three men took their seats. Only then did Fox sit too; Eric shifted to military rest but remained standing. He was close enough to touch Fox, or restrain her, if necessary, his eyes cold and face expressionless. The Amity men studiously avoided his gaze.

Fox spoke again, her voice lush with authority and Eric's heart swelled, she was going to be a hell of a leader at his side. "Speak your piece, gentlemen."

The tallest man, the one seated in the middle, that Eric recognized from Amity's files as Marshall Greenspan, swallowed hard and began to talk.

"Speaking for all of us-"

"Speak for yourselves." Fox snapped.

Greenspan nodded nervously and tried again. "Speaking for myself...I beg for your forgiveness. What we, uh, I did was wrong, should never have happened. Now that I have children, two little girls...the thought of anything like that happening to them...it keeps me awake at night."

Fox shifted her jaw and looked to Greenspan's left. Lester Miller cleared his throat and whispered quietly. "I too have children now...and I am sorry."

Lifting her chin, Fox turned her head to the remaining man, Samuel Decker. He was the only one who didn't look like he was about to pass out, there was a pugnacious tilt to his chin that Eric itched to obliterate with his fists.

"I apologize for any harm that befell you."

Fox snorted at the pretty words and hollow feelings. Clasping her hands together she rested them on the table in front of her. "You have said what you came to say, and now it is my turn. You're apologies are not accepted. I do not forgive you."

The three men glanced uncertainly at each other and Greenspan stuttered. "But, Arianna-"

"My name is Fox Coulter." Fox replied curtly. Eric blinked at the lie, in truth, they'd spoken little of their engagement in the last few weeks; Fox's ring was lost during her abduction, probably stolen by Tom or one of the others, and Eric had replaced it, but neither had broached the topic any further.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, Ms. Coulter; but -"

"I must instead thank you." Fox continued. Greenspan fumbled into silence and only Eric's training kept him from breaking rank and staring down at her. _What?_

"If you had not attacked me in that orchard like a pack of cowardly dogs, I would have continued my happy existence; content in my life in Amity, content with my life in your deluded faction. I would have chosen Amity in the ceremony, married and gone on to slave in the fields with the rest of the cattle. Instead, you took my innocence, you murdered a child; you killed young Arianna LaRue, and I replaced her. Without your intervention, I would never have grown into a Dauntless woman, I never would have reached my potential; I would have stayed just like you, just like your faction: mediocre. Thank you for destroying my imperfect former life."

The three men stared in shock at Fox and Eric bit his lip to keep from smiling, _that was one way to look at it._

"For your children's sake, I hope they are spared my experience. For your sake, I hope they are not. I will not think of any of you after you leave this room, but I'm sure you will continue to think about me for a long time to come." Fox stood then, standing to her full height, her piercings catching the light. "Now leave."

They stood uncertainly but didn't move until Fox tilted her head to the side and repeated her command, her voice undeniable. "LEAVE."

The three men shuffled out, shooting glances back over their shoulders, a range of emotions, from anger to fear, humiliation to anxiety crossing their faces. Fox remained unmoving until the door shut behind them, then turned to Eric, her composure crumbling.

"Eric." She moaned and Eric caught her as her knees sagged, pulled her to his chest. For a long while, he just stroked her hair and shushed quietly as Fox cried into his shoulder. When her tears finally stopped, Fox pulled away, standing back up but keeping her head lowered. Eric tipped her chin up gently and cupped her cheeks, carefully wiping her cheeks dry with his thumbs.

"You did well." He murmured.

Fox offered him a smile. "You think so?"

Eric nodded, grinning. "I either wouldn't have agreed to meet, or I would have shot all three of them as soon as they walked through the door."

Fox smirked, "you would actually."

Hesitantly, Eric asked. "Is it true, is it over for you now? You'll never think of them again?"

Fox paused, then nodded. "That's done, it's over; I've made peace with it."

"You called yourself Fox Coulter."

Fox quirked her mouth and held her left hand up by her face, turning it so the diamond faced Eric, "well, that's almost true...you haven't set a date though."

Eric scoffed. "Me? That's your job. The woman plans the wedding, the man just shows up."

"Oh really? The man just shows up?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, that's unacceptable, I'm going to go find a man who wants to plan _with_ me." Fox shot Eric a look and turned to walk away.

"Oh no, you don't." Eric snaked his arms around her and pulled Fox back against his chest. He nipped at her throat, grinning when she shrieked and began struggling.

"Put me down!"

Laughing, Eric unceremoniously dropped Fox. She whirled and punched him playfully in the shoulder. Eric grabbed her into a bear hug and kissed her hard. "Marry me."

"I already said yes."

"Say yes again."

"No." Fox stuck out her bottom lip.

"Baby, please?" Eric drew out baby into three syllables, leaning down to nip at Fox's bottom lip.

"If I say yes, will you leave me alone?"

Eric laughed. "Of course not."

Fox rolled her eyes and pushed at his chest, she turned to walk away again and Eric grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder and slapping her ass. Fox squealed. Still chuckling, Eric left the boardroom, still carrying Fox.

"Put me down!"

"Not until you behave."

"No!"

Eric slapped her ass again, laughing as Fox began to struggle in earnest.

"I'll put you down when you say yes."

"No!"

"Alright then." Eric continued marched down the corridor; soon they would reach the Pit and everyone would see Eric carrying her, her ass in the air, struggling like a child in his implacable grip; Eric knew that was close to the last thing she ever wanted, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Where are we going?! Eric?! Okay, fine, you big baby...YES!" Eric laughed and continued walking.

"Eric!" Fox growled, smacking his ass and then adding a pinch when he didn't put her down.

"Okay, wildcat." Eric chuckled, dropping Fox gently onto her feet, he wrapped his arms around her in anticipation and again, he wasn't disappointed.

"You asshole!" Fox whispered fiercely, stabbing at his chest with her finger. "Everyone would've seen my ass in the air!"

"All you had to say was 'yes'," Eric grinned, catching the offending finger and leaning down to kiss her. Fox moved to pull away and Eric yanked on her finger as he tightened his other arm, pushing her back against him. As they kissed, Eric slicked his tongue along the her bottom lip and with a sigh, half-exasperated and half-hungry; Fox parted her lips, moaning as his tongue slicked against hers.

Fox pulled away, just enough to break the kiss and sighed, she tilted her head forward and Eric pressed his lips to her forehead, waiting.

"Let's get drunk tonight, down in the Pit, call up Tris and Four, and Will, Christina, everyone."

"I haven't seen Christina drinking lately." Eric mused.

Fox pulled back to look into his eyes. "Think she's pregnant?"

Eric shrugged, "Maybe, Will hasn't said anything yet."

Fox sighed quietly, her hand drifting down to her lower abdomen. "I still feel like he's in there sometimes; like I didn't really lose him."

Hesitantly, Eric covered her hand with his, "Would you ever want to...get pregnant...again?"

Fox snorted softly. "We didn't plan the first time, it just happened."

"Are you sorry it did?"

"No, I'm just sorry that I lost him...I wonder sometimes what he would have looked like, if he would have been a mini-you, or both of us?" Fox exhaled unsteadily and Eric pulled her back against his chest. Although she stayed silent, Eric could feel the tremor running through her and knew Fox was crying. Reaching down, he slid his arm behind Fox's knees and lifted her to his chest, bridal style.

"Let's go home for a bit, baby." He murmured.

 _Three Months Later_

"Did you hear the news?" Tris asked dramatically, slouching into Fox's office.

Fox glanced up from her tablet. "No, what?"

Tris flopped down in the chair across from her. "Amity can only supply cream roses, not white ones for Christina."

Fox frowned, although they joked about it, Christina was being a bridezilla about her upcoming wedding to Will, this was another problem Christina was going to flip out about, and Tris and Fox, as her maid of honour and bridesmaid, were never going to hear the end of it.

"You two were smart," Tris remarked. "I'm telling Four we're just doing the civil thing in Max's office too."

Fox glanced down at her left hand and couldn't stop a smile. Not quite three weeks ago, she and Eric had been married, in a small simple ceremony in Max's office. Max had been the officiant, Four and Tris the witnesses and only other guests. Eric had looked so handsome in his Dauntless uniform, his eyes never leaving Fox's as they'd spoken their short, personally written vows. All of Fox's planning had gone into the factionwide party afterwards in the Pit; it had lasted two days and she was still getting stopped in the corridors and congratulated on it. They'd left Max's office and stood at the railing overlooking the Pit as the party had started below and Zeke announced, 'Mr. and Mrs. Eric Coulter!' to deafening cheers. He'd handed Eric the knife and clapped his shoulder. A Dauntless marriage tradition was for the new bride and groom to each slice their palms, then have their hands tied together, to allow their blood to mingle. Fox and Eric had managed to remain tied together during most of their initial reception but had been torn apart when Four, Uriah and Zeke, each one drunker than the last, had tackled Eric and dragged him out on the dance floor for some old pre-war party song called 'Wild Thing' by someone named Tone-Loc. Fox and Tris had laughed until they nearly puked.

"Yeah, I'm happy we did it that way, look at how stressed Christina is getting."

Tris nodded. "Her plans have gone from getting married before she shows to just getting married before she has the baby."

Fox shook her head. Christina had found out she was expecting while Fox had been held captive by Tom, and had held off telling anyone for a few more weeks out of consideration for Fox and her miscarriage.

"How about you? You still feel sick?" Fox asked.

Tris rubbed her abdomen thoughtfully. She'd learned she was pregnant two days before Eric and Fox's wedding. "Yeah, not so bad now. I won't be able to drink at our party, but at least I won't need to let my dress out." She paused for a moment, then stood. "I should get going, I have to go to Abnegation this afternoon for another meeting. Can you hold down the office for me?"

"Yeah, sure." Occasionally people drifted up to ask either Fox or Tris a question about the upcoming initiation training; Fox would keep an eye out for anyone wandering around.

"Thanks, boo." Tris blew her an air kiss as she left. Fox waited until she saw Tris walk by again, her jacket over her arm, before standing and leaving herself, It was almost lunchtime, and she wanted to surprise Eric beforehand. His door was open, and she leaned in and knocked.

"Hey, you got a minute?"

Eric glanced up, his face, tense with concentration, lit up when he saw his new bride. "Yeah, baby. What's up?"

Fox stepped inside, unable to hide her grin as she turned and shut the door. She glanced back over at Eric, raising one eyebrow as she locked the door. Eric heard the lock click and began to smile himself.

"What are you up to?" He asked huskily.

"You know." Fox purred back. Eric turned in his chair as she approached, his eyes darkening. She pointed at Eric's pants. "Get rid of those."

Catching his tongue between his teeth as he grinned, Eric obliged. Fox lifted the flirty black skirt she wore and straddled his lap. Eric's hands rested on her thighs, one hand curling underneath her skirt and he growled low in his chest when he realized that Fox wasn't wearing underwear. Fox traced his lips gently with her fingertip, pulling back with a squeal when Eric playfully snapped at it.

"Poor Christina is having another meltdown." Fox murmured.

"Shit, I'm happy we went simple." Eric's fingertips began to trace along Fox's inner thigh and she inhaled sharply.

"Tris wants to do the same."

Eric nodded, then flicked his gaze up to Fox's, his fingers trailed closer to her centre and he grinned wickedly at her.

"Don't start anything you aren't going to finish." Fox teased.

"Hey, you came to me, remember? Without underwear, I'm definitely finishing." He reached up with his free hand and cupped the back of Fox's head, pulling her down for a kiss. He moaned as Fox began to slowly rock her hips against him, deepening the kiss and parting her lips for his tongue. His moan deepened to a guttural groan as Fox slid down onto his cock, taking his full length. His hand gripped her hip hard and he bit Fox's bottom lip before dropping his head into her throat, his lips caressing, teeth nipping gently. Fox rocked harder as Eric nuzzled into her throat, wrapping both arms around her, moulding against her and pulling her tight to him. Fox had been fantasizing about this all morning, and soon felt that familiar heat building low in her belly. Eric's pants in her throat told her he was close too and Fox rocked hard one last time before arcing against Eric's arms and crying out, her pulsing around him pulling Eric over the edge too as he groaned into her hair, swearing incoherently, his hips thrusting up. Fox collapsed against Eric, as he leaned back, breathing hard, against the chair.

Eric pressed a hard kiss to the top of Fox's head and rested his forehead on her shoulder. After a long while, he raised his head and grinned at her.

"You still hungry?"

"For lunch or you?"

Eric barked a laugh, "lunch."

Fox grinned down at him, pressed a quick kiss to his nose. "Fuck, yeah."

Fox left work a little early that same day, she had a few errands to run and wanted to be home before Eric got back. She headed into the bathroom for a shower, still trying to decide what to make for supper; they'd probably end up down in the mess hall, where Christina would no doubt unload the newest wedding travesty; and Eric would lean over to whisper in her ear about how lucky they were, and how much he loved her. Fox smiled as the water ran down her face, realizing she was now truly happy.

She'd just pulled on one of Eric's shirts when she heard the door open.

"Hey, baby. You home?" She heard his gentle, deep voice.

Fox smiled, took a deep breath and stepped out of the bedroom.

Eric strode over to her, pulled her against him for a kiss and Fox moved her hand between them, pushing gently at his chest. Eric leaned back, forehead furrowed in confusion, then looked down. His eyes shot back up the Fox.

"Really?" He breathed, touching her cheek gently.

Fox smiled widely, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Really, baby...I'm pregnant."

 **A/N: Here it is! I hope you enjoyed 'Embers and Ash'! Thank you so much for all the reads and reviews!**

 **Do you want another Eric X Fox story?**


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